Darkness From Above
by finnsgirl994
Summary: Dealing with Asgard always left Darcy's world a little dimmer. The stars were less bright, the moon somehow darker. Alone, she looks to find her own path, in her own field. As Darcy forges her way through her new career and high powered position, a certain God of Mischief tries to seduce his way back into power. But what's Loki to do when Darcy seduces him right back? Darcy/Loki
1. In the City that We Loved

After the dust settled and the rubble was cleared, Darcy had nothing.

The destruction of much of her planet was nothing to Thor, hell-bent on saving his precious _Asgard-_

Which by Jane's short description was every bit as dazzling as she'd imagined it. She couldn't believe her eyes the first time those terrifying black machines tore through London, wrecking buildings which were hundreds of years old, and once again Darcy was struck by how vulnerable her existence was in the face of such immeasurable power.

Still, Earth escaped utter desolation, and by Darcy's books that was as good an outcome as any.

Sadly, that was the only good thing to happen- much of the fighting, much of the real action had occurred in Asgard and Alfheim and other places Darcy would never see, never know for herself.

Jane had gone to those places- she had had the adventure of her life, possessed by a dark elf- and that was the end of Darcy's knowledge on the matter. No one would tell her a thing- not SHIELD, of course, but not Jane, or Erik, or Thor. In fact, she was told shockingly little about the affair, and was treated like a bystander who had witnessed something she shouldn't have.

Darcy knew this feeling, when SHIELD took over her life after Thor defeated the Destroyer Loki had sent to Puente Antigua a few years ago, when Agent Coulson took away her iPod, Jane's research- any proof that they'd accomplished something in that tiny lab in the desert. She wasn't worried about having her twitter monitored or her email constantly filtered- what she really couldn't stand was the sensation that she wasn't important enough, significant enough to know what Jane got to know, what Erik got to know.

She didn't mean to sound bitter, but she couldn't help it. After three years of her life on hold (SHIELD kind of had her in head lock in terms of her college credits and graduation was nowhere near her horizon), Darcy wanted closure, and to move on. London was meant to be that- she was helping Jane with the final stages of testing out a new prototype of the Einstein Rosenberg bridge- a crude replica of the Bifrost was what Erik affectionately referred to it as.

They were in London only due to a recent surge in some kind of electromagnetic mumbo-jumbo- Darcy had ignored Jane's lengthy explanation- but before they could run any tests, before they could even assemble the machine, terror had struck the city.

As the ship-like objects reduced the historic city to rubble in minutes, Darcy and Jane had been outside, trying to find shelter along with some science groupies Jane had picked up from Oxford- someone named Ian, who had attempted to ask her out a record of 6 times in 3 days- enough time for Earth to be terrorized and for Thor to swoop in and save Jane, leaving Darcy to fend for herself in the chaos.

She didn't mind that- she didn't expect to be rescued, because she wasn't Thor's to rescue. She was independent, and that was why, when Jane decided to stay in Asgard after Thor's defeat of his super-secret-nemesis, Darcy refused to acknowledge any sense of loss. It was easy for her to feign joy for Jane's relocation to a land of magic and gods at first, when she though Erik was going to need her for the continuation of his work. She had to remain unfazed and happy for Erik too, when he announced that having a god in his mind plus the added ordeal of the recent events had led to him retiring from _science_- and there was Darcy, with nothing to do and going nowhere fast.

Ordinarily, that would have been just fine. Maybe she'd be a little butthurt, but she could definitely apply to finish her BA in Political Science and then go on to Law School- or she could intern in the House of Representatives- the opportunities seemed vast compared to her previous life of filing papers and typing up lab results. Unfortunately for Darcy, that wasn't possible. She was stuck, again, because she knew just enough and too little, all at once.

SHIELD reared its ugly head once more when she tried to post a picture of post-attack Trafalgar Square, and it got deleted instantly.

It didn't surprise her later, either, when she opened her hotel room door to a frowning agent in black- and within minutes she was uprooted again and boarding a plane, private by the looks of it, headed back to NYC.

Shortly upon landing Darcy was forced to debrief all she knew about what had transpired in London. It was almost embarrassing how little she had to tell them, because they didn't care about what had actually happened to her. All they were interested in was Jane's involvement, and whether Thor had stated any intentions of returning to Earth- nothing about the fear she had experienced when she had to help an injured woman who was heavily pregnant- escorting her to a hospital in the aftermath was chaotic and almost impossible considering how distraught both women were. Never mind the fact that Ian was killed hours after when a building collapsed on his head, and the heads of dozens of students.

Her meeting lasted all of 12 minutes. The agents abruptly ended her narrative by pulling out a stack of papers and asking Darcy to sign them.

"Why do I need to sign anything?" the confusion in her voice made the agents exchange a look, and she began to feel panicked.

"Ms. Lewis, it's merely a routine confidentiality contract. Nothing personal, just standard SHIELD procedure."  
Darcy narrowed her eyes- nothing with SHIELD was ever standard by the conventional definition of the word.

"And what does this confidentiality contract entail?"

The agent with the yellowed teeth (chain smoker was Darcy's guess) explained a need for "secrecy, considering the sensitive nature of SHIELD's work." Basically, she couldn't talk about anything that happened between Thor's arrival in New Mexico up until the present- a whole three years of her life, inaccessible to Darcy. That wasn't really acceptable to her, considering the very real possibility that colleges would want to know how her extended internship with the world-renowned astrophysicist, Jane Foster, had gone.

The SHIELD cronies had no reply for her, and left the room before Darcy could protest.

"Wait! I need- I can't just live my life lying about years 2011-2013! I- I need a job, an education for god's sake!"

But they ignored her, and Darcy could feel frustrated tears prick her eyelids. Ignoring them, she decided that she wasn't going to return the SHIELD issued credit card just yet. Instead, she headed for a decent hotel, checked into a room, and got out her laptop. To her dismay, it had been wiped of all documents regarding her work with Jane and Erik- her iTunes was intact, but somehow she couldn't log into any social media or her email account. It was getting to be too much to bear for Darcy, but she couldn't bring herself to admit that she was trapped just yet.

She went to bed that night slightly buzzed from the vodka she found in the hotel minibar (SHIELD's bill, not hers) and more than a little morose.

After tossing and turning on and off, Darcy finally gave up on sleeping and logged back onto her computer. She took a deep breath, and then googled starting level jobs in New York City, the most competitive place in the world. That proved itself true when she found herself frustrated and on the verge of tears. Nowhere was hiring- she was unqualified and not a college graduate and she was already 24, when she should have been done by 22, and everything was _all wrong. _

She had accomplished _nothing, _done _nothing, _even after all her hard work with Jane because none of the credit was actually hers to take- she just _took notes. _

The injustice of it all was too much to think about, so Darcy abandoned her rumpled sheets and stood in the shower for the better part of an hour, letting the hot water course down her back and through her tangled hair. The steam clouded her vision but she was able to think clearly.

She was going to go back to SHIELD and demand her dues- not that she had earned much, but the least they could do was give her an internship, or even better a job- anything, really, would be welcome to her.

With that desperate thought in her mind, Darcy stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror, naked. Everything about her screamed LOSER- her wild, unmanageable hair, her square frame glasses- she had always known that her appearance led people to believe that she was insignificant and unworthy of their attention, but now she also knew that she had started to believe that herself. Until then, that is.

Retrieving a pair of scissors from her travel bag, Darcy very markedly made some changes in her life. She began with a steady hand, snipping her tangles away into a straight, evenly layered bob that brushed her shoulders, revealing her collarbone and the slim cut of her shoulders. The change felt good, and the next morning came much more easily.

Darcy also got rid of the glasses- the thick frames made her seem immature and ditzy, and she had contact lenses to spare, anyways. Darcy didn't have any real "job hunting" clothes, but she did her best with a pair of black pants and red button down blouse that had a ruffle down the front. It was a little lower cut than she liked, but her options were too limited for her to care.

Stepping out into the street, Darcy enjoyed the sound of her boots clacking on the sidewalk. Feeling in control, she made her way to the SHIELD headquarters she had left the previous evening. At the front desk, she produced her ID and said that she wanted to speak with the HR department about employment opportunities. The receptionist was effusive in her kindness and led Darcy to a beautifully furnished waiting room, where a coffee machine emitted an aroma too delicious for her to ignore.

She waited with her coffee for the better part of an hour, growing more and more nervous with each passing minute. Darcy began to realize how brash she was being, just demanding a job from SHIELD- as if they owed her anything. A small voice inside of her insisted that they did owe her something, but Darcy wasn't sure if she should listen to it.

It was too late to back out though- a sharply dressed woman said a representative was ready to see her then, and Darcy had no choice but to follow.

She was led to a small office. The door was open but she still knocked, afraid to barge in.

"Come in!"

Darcy carefully entered the room, belatedly realizing that she had no idea how to sell herself as a viable employee to SHIELD.

The woman behind the desk strode before Darcy and held out her hand, gripping it firmly as she introduced herself.

"Good morning. I'm Veronica Bradley, head of the HR department."

The scary efficiency of her voice made Darcy feel like she was in school again and unprepared for a test- lost, sweaty, and clueless.

Stuttering slightly, she replied "Hi- uh, hello! I'm Darcy Lewis, and I…"  
Darcy was about to make a fool of herself, but Veronica spoke up.  
"You have previous connections to SHIELD, right? When your name went through our system… let's just say we got quite a few interesting pings."  
Darcy was disconcerted by the strange smile on Veronica's face, but she barreled on, unsure of what she meant.

"When you say pings, I assume you mean… the whole thing in New Mexico, and then London… right?"

"Right. We know you have information regarding SHIELD and its activities regarding a great deal of confidential matters- not that it's your fault, of course. No one is ever at fault just for possessing knowledge. It's what you do with it that matters, am I correct?"  
Darcy didn't know what to do so she nodded.

"I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I have no choice. I need a job secured- I need money to rent an apartment, live my life, but I can't. I can't finish school with my restricted background and I can't get a job without my degree. I'm in a bind, and I just think SHIELD should have something for me."

"By something, you mean employment?"

"Yes."

Veronica sighed and pulled out a folder from a drawer in her chrome desk. She flipped through it, nonchalantly pulling out a certain page from the center.

"This. These are your credentials, correct?"  
Darcy glanced at the sheet, recognizing her copied transcript as well as a photocopied letter of recommendation from Jane.

"This sheet of paper tells me two things- one, you got good grades at a reasonably competitive school. Two, it tells me that you've never had a job that was suited to your skills, therefore you have no idea what your skills are, beyond taking notes and making spreadsheets. Do I have it right so far?"

Darcy felt naked hearing that- her life, so easily dissected and into such a simple one at that.

"I guess… I always did work with the wrong kind of scientist."

Veronica smiled, and clapped her hands together. "I think I have place for you, my dear. It says here you were very interested in public affairs and that you had a minor in marketing before you joined Dr. Foster's team. There is a new department we've only just opened six months ago. It involves the public image of certain… members of SHIELD's various organizations and teams. If you pass the qualifying exam and do well in the interview… let's just say you might be better off than you expected."

Darcy walked out of the office buoyant with joy. She had absolutely no doubt in her mind that she could get that job- and she would absolutely devote herself to it. Sure enough, Veronica had an application sent in by secure mail the next day, and one week later Darcy was back at SHIELD taking her exam.

It wasn't hard for her- it was short answer, and Darcy was asked to respond to differing scenarios as a publicity agent for a famous politician or public official. The scenarios ranged from corruption charges to prostitution scandals- it didn't matter. Darcy felt confident for the first time in her life answering the questions, assured in her ability to spin a story to someone's favor. Some of the scenarios were odd-

"What would be the appropriate response to the public as well as the media when one's client has destroyed multiple sectors of Harlem in an undisclosed government affair?"

Suspicions formed in the back of Darcy's mind but she ignored them, too excited to sense anything weird.

She received results 5 business days later- she aced the exam with a 48 out of 50 possible points, and was scheduled to interview the next Tuesday. Darcy used what was left of her nest egg to splurge on a new suit (it was an investment) as well as a solid pair of high heels and a work-appropriate laptop bag.

The morning of her interview, Darcy strode into the conference room with a broad smile and a laugh on her lips.

The questions were varied and required some insight for anyone answering them.

One in particular threw Darcy for a loop, but she gave a reasonable answer, in her opinion.

"Do you believe in collateral damage?"

Darcy had been confused by the phrasing, but she did her best.

"It depends on how one defines collateral damage- if you value something or someone and they are hurt during the course of an endeavor, then the question must be asked, 'Did the ends justify the means?' I believe that to preempt that kind of questioning, which is dangerous for the type of projects this organizations pursues, qualified individuals must plan and anticipate these questions, and create parameters within which SHIELD must operate in order to avoid those questions."

Darcy had thought she had fucked that up royally, but she got a call 2 days later- she got the job.

She was trained a week later, and told exactly what it was she was hired to do. It was simple really- all she did was examine case files of missions and projects, where she was to research possible outcomes and side-effects- and at the end of it she was to write a report regarding the affair as a whole and to determine how exactly SHIELD should proceed.

The job description was perfect, and Darcy wanted to scream with excitement when she was led to a small enclosed area- not as stifling as a cubicle, but still private. Darcy was given a work laptop as well as a new, encrypted phone for her personal and professional use. The pay was reasonable, and SHIELD even offered discounted housing in a nearby building that had shuttles pick up and drop off employees in the mornings and evenings, 7 days a week. Her hours were standard, 9-5, and the pay was more than reasonable for an underqualified astrophysics intern. Darcy was over the moon with anticipation for her new job, and she delved into it with a gusto she had never experienced before. She arrived for work early each day, taking her new cases out of her box near the front desk, and began a day of research regarding costs and benefits versus possible outcomes of SHIELD projects. Mostly she was working on small projects, mostly about building new facilities in South America, or putting out a PSA about suspicious individuals, but for Darcy it was heaven. After years of listening to science jibber-jabber, she had learned to stop paying attention to the details in order to get the job done. Now, she relished each and every detail and used them to her advantage, eventually becoming adept at scoping out a situation and determining the best course of action within minutes.

Darcy made friends at work too- a nice mom of 3 named Donna, and a balding gentlemen named Michael who insisted on calling her "Ms. Lewis." They often ate lunch at a nearby park, either bringing it from home or buying a hotdog from a stand owned by an eccentric Iranian man who never let Darcy pay.

Things were going well for Darcy- she was excelling at work (a first for her), and within two months she was upgraded to working on more classified cases regarding more dicey situations- like storming illegal drug factories in Russia or combating munitions dealers in Vietnam. Darcy wasn't expecting a promotion anytime soon, but it felt good to be recognized for her good work. She was able to afford little luxuries again, like $5 coffee every morning, and that made her feel better than anything. She was independent and successful and happy- she had never experienced all three simultaneously before, and it was a heady feeling.

She began work in May. By mid-September, Darcy was a bona-fide workaholic. She got in by 7, and never left before 8 at night. She took her work more seriously than any of her coworkers, because she knew the truth- that SHIELD was doing covert operations meant to save the world from evil and that there were baddies out there who could easily destroy their planet- not for lack of trying.

Sometimes she encountered a different assignment- analysis of a previous mission, one important enough to require a second look, after the fact.

She tackled them just as viciously as her regular workload- until one day a file was dropped on Darcy's desk while she was on break grabbing a latte. It merely had a SHIELD stamp on its exterior, with no additional detailing. Inside, there was an extensive report on an event which had occurred over a year ago, involving an invader of some kind (she read between the lines and understood it meant aliens) and a team assembled to combat the threat.

The report was over 150 pages long, and because Darcy was mostly ahead of schedule, she put everything aside in favor of reading her mystery file. Highlighter in hand, she spent most of 6 hours scouring the document for more details- notes were scribbled in the margins and sticky notes littered the sheets of paper to point of obscuring the actual report.

By the time Darcy had drafted out a response report, her mind was zooming. This wasn't a run of the mill SHIELD mission- this was THE mission.

This was the invasion of New York- this was Thor and the Hulk and Erik- Jane sent to Tromsee, NYC reduced to a smoking rubble, a man in red, white, and blue leaping through the ashes- mind control and compromised SHIELD agents- this was too obvious.

Darcy had no idea why SHIELD picked her, the newbie, to file that report- but she realized it was no coincidence that the next morning, news had spread throughout the department. Thor had returned to Earth, rather publicly, and he had dragged along a reluctant guest.

Darcy groaned to herself as Donna exclaimed, "Here's a hint! He didn't bring his cute science girlfriend…"

**I am back already- as if I could stay away. In my last story, Darcy was a hotmess who had every inch of her broken to pieces. This time, she's whole and she's the spunky version of herself so many people seem to love. I just want to see my bby get the credit she deserves, as the smart underappreciated PoliSci major (like me) who ends up rising above everyone else, in a good way. In case it wasn't clear, btw, THIS IS TASER!TRICKS! ! ! ! enjoy my darlings, and pleeeeeeeease review!**


	2. Changing Lanes

**Thanks for all the follows and feedback! I'm absolutely blown away by all of you, so thanks again! ENJOY!**

The morning of December 13 was uneventful up until 10:34 AM. Darcy woke up at 6 AM, showered, did her hair, and got dressed for work while sipping a strong cup of black coffee. She made sure she gathered all her work from the previous night and neatly placed it into her attaché case, ready for another busy day of work. She had completed the report on the Chitauri Invasion weeks ago (she knew it without a doubt to be just that) and had compiled her findings in to a tidy folder divided into three sections- first was risks- that was a very large stack she had to hole-punch. The second section was variables- who, what, and where. Last was the section entitled results, and that was the longest by far. It had taken her over a week to ensure her findings were correct and accurate, and the end product was over 50 pages long. More than a month had passed and she had received no feedback on the report, which Darcy chose to believe indicated that there had been no fault in her analysis.

She walked to work that morning, the shuttle being a hot and stuffy alternative. She relished stretching her legs on the New York sidewalk, feeling as powerful as a superhero but still just like anybody else. That day her hair was a tamer version of her usually unrestrained curls, so the wind tousled them a great deal by the time she reached her office on the 5th floor. Clocking in, Darcy grabbed a fresh cup of coffee from the break room, then made her way to her desk and got out her assignments. There was a drop box where employees were meant to place their completed reports in- it never failed to make Darcy smile when the papers would whoosh away to the higher-ups of SHIELD.

Donna offered Darcy a fresh muffin (she accepted of course) and then she settled down, booting up her laptop and idly checking her emails on her work phone. There was nothing out of the ordinary, as usual, besides gossip about the SHIELD Holiday party that Friday. It was a big shindig, according to Michael, black tie and fancy cocktails. Donna had leaned over from her cubicle and confided that she had once met that "handsome Tony Stark a few years back when she still worked in Quality Control." The man had been raging drunk, but effortlessly charming. Darcy was unimpressed but pretended to be for Donna's sake. She had already decided that she would attend, as it had been a long time since she'd had cause to dress up and look pretty for any reason other than work. Maybe she would meet someone- a boyfriend, or even just a one night stand.

At 10 AM, Darcy was fully absorbed by her work. She was researching the implications of a SHIELD base in China, a very risky endeavor considering the secretive nature of the government- but it would be quite beneficial for SHIELD to expand their spheres of influence. The information on the screen was riveting- at the moment Darcy was looking up the history of foreign organizations within China, and their rates of success. Unfortunately, the results were not sounding too hopeful.

The words were starting to run into one another, and Darcy knew it was time to take her break. Grabbing her coat and gloves, she made her way to balcony. It overlooked the city and had a breathtaking view, but few employees ever sat on the benches- turns out everyone Darcy knew was a little scared of heights. She loved it though; sometimes, after work, she would just sit out there and gaze at the stars. A part of her would imagine Asgard- Jane and Thor, traversing the universe, visiting realms and doing great things. It usually left her with a twinge of sadness, but then she felt better when she returned to her work. Even if she was just a glorified pencil pusher, there was pride to be taken in her job and the work that she did. That day though, Darcy's only thoughts were of the holiday party- more specifically, her dress. The idea of going shopping filled her with anticipation and dread- the former because she loved to shop, and the latter because she never found formalwear that suited her curves. Resigned to the fact that big breasts were a struggle, Darcy toyed with the thought of not going. The party was the next evening, and she still had to go to the department store that night, find a full outfit, and not break the bank.

Darcy set aside thoughts of her breasts when someone walked behind her and took a deep breath. She didn't bother glancing back, assuming it was someone out for a smoke. When she didn't hear the telltale hiss of a cigarette being lit, however, Darcy turned to see who stood there. It was another agent- she wore a suit like all the other SHIELD employees, but something about screamed "efficiency", with an emphasis on brutality.

"Hello. I'm Agent Sanchez. Your presence is required at a meeting in twenty minutes."

Darcy's eyes widened with surprise at the brusqueness of woman's tone, and at the thought of a meeting, after all this time.

"Oh… is there a particular reason for this meeting?"

Agent Sanchez smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, and warning bells rung in Darcy's mind immediately.

"It's something like an employee evaluation."

"Oh! I'm relieved to hear that- but my supervisor never mentioned evaluations."

Agent Sanchez grinned again and this time it was real. "That's because we typically do not have employee evaluations. The meeting will be held on the penthouse floor, room 224. Please do not be tardy."

With that ominous warning, Sanchez pivoted away, and Darcy sat staring at the skyline while wondering what the hell was going on.

Five minutes later, Darcy had composed herself, refreshed her lipstick in the bathroom, and had run a comb through her unruly curls.

The elevator ride up to the penthouse was ridiculously fast, considering how high up the damn thing was. Swaying slightly in her high heels, Darcy carefully exited, and went to a receptionist's desk, asking for the directions to her meeting.

Too soon, Darcy was seated outside a conference room, ten minutes early for her mysterious encounter with the shadowy upper levels of SHIELD.

Time passed slowly, each second crawling by slower than the last. Darcy could sense herself growing more and more panicked. She noticed her fingers tapping incessantly against her moleskin notebook, which she had brought along just in case she needed to record anything. Eventually, Darcy heard her name being called out like an order at a diner, and she swallowed her fear. It was time to be cool, and maintain composure as much as possible.

Inside the room was a long table, but there were only three chairs at the far end. A carafe of water as well as glasses were artfully displayed next to a vase of crocuses, and Darcy suddenly felt completely out of place, a rube surrounded by sophistication.

She stood, awaiting those who summoned her. The view from this room made her balcony seem like a terrible piece of real estate. Darcy was gazing out the window when a mild voice announced, "Ah! You're early. That's good, right?"

Darcy spun around so fast she nearly tripped, but regained her balance in time to shake hands with the approaching Agent- _Phil Coulson. _

"Phi-Agent Coulson! You're… you're alive?!" Darcy's voice broke in shock- even though she'd disliked the man, she'd shed more than a few tears when Erik had told her of his fate at Loki's hands.

"I'm here, aren't I? Let's get on with this meeting, shall I?"

Darcy surreptitiously wiped her eyes and nodded, waiting for Phil to take a seat. She was having a difficult time keeping calm when a man she had mourned had returned to life, with no explanation.  
"Ms. Lewis, I'm sure you're wondering why you've been asked to meet with me today."  
"Yeah, I am a bit curious. Is this some kind of work evaluation?"

Coulson chuckled and poured himself a glass of water- Darcy noticed a slight tremor in his hand but hid her surprise. He responded after taking a long gulp.

"You could call this meeting an evaluation, I suppose. To cut to the chase, Ms. Lewis, you're doing an excellent job so far- you thoroughly plan out situations and are very good at making judgments regarding risks and benefits. All the missions you've prepped have been moderate to high successes, which is unprecedented for an entry level employee as yourself."  
Darcy couldn't keep herself from beaming- she had _never _been told that she excelled at something before.

"That's really kind of you Phil- I mean Agent Coulson! But I doubt that's all you want to tell me, unless you care to prove me wrong?"

A strange, sad smile flickered across Coulson's face as he drank more water and chuckled to himself.

"You've always been astute, I'll give you that. You've come a long way from iPod Darcy, haven't you? And I must say, you've already got people talking about you."  
Darcy's mouth dropped open- people gossiped about her in the office?!

"Oh no, you misunderstood! I mean, your work is garnering a great deal of attention amongst certain individuals. They've taken an interest in what you do, because it's an asset."

Darcy let out a breath and nodded. "Agent Coulson, I have to ask… is this because of that report I did about New York? And Loki?"

"Absolutely. You definitely went above and beyond on that paper- you exceeded the quality of our top analysts on the matter, when it came to content. There were certain perspectives you introduced to us regarding players in the affair which were news to us."

Darcy was shocked- she knew she had been detail oriented when it came to this case, but she hadn't done any special research when it came to the people involved. She had to look up bios for some individuals but mostly she had focused on the major player and catalyst in the situation, Loki.

And then she understood what Phil meant.

"Oh! You wanted to know how I had such insight into Loki?"

"That, and something else. But please, explain first."

Darcy took a deep breath before she began.

"Basically, I know a lot about Thor because he kind of has a thing with my old boss, Jane Foster. When he came to Earth the first time, he talked to Jane about Loki very little- and after he sent the Destroyer, Jane and I both guessed that something had gone very wrong in Thor's relationship with his brother. Well, when Thor came back after the attacks in London, Jane met Loki, and through gossip and discussions with certain members of the royal family, she gained a greater understanding of the situation, which she actually discussed with me the last time I saw her."

At that moment, Agent Coulson had his eyes tightly shut, and he was nervously drumming his fingers. Darcy had no idea what she was saying to cause the discomfort but she felt sorry for it.

"Listen, this is sensitive to discuss. I can write it up, and email it to you!"

"No! No, this is important. What I'm about to say is top-secret, and every superspy cliché applies here, do you understand?!"

Darcy nodded, suddenly scared of the intensity in the usually calm man's eyes.

"Thor has returned to Earth, which you may already know. What you don't know is that he has brought Loki, who has made it absolutely clear that while he doesn't want to be here, he is now on our side. His involvement with the recent attacks absolves him of a great deal of guilt. While SHIELD still continues to categorize Odinson as a threat, he is no longer an active one. Furthermore, our punitive measures cannot be applied onto him based on his- ah, what'd we decide to call it? Oh yes, intergalactic diplomatic immunity."

"What does that have to do with me?!"

"Darcy, you captured in a simple report several key flaws within our tactical and strategic approach to that particular mission. Your suggestions and inferences were so well received by SHIELD operatives that you are being transferred to a position directly in conference with agents and consulting members of SHIELD."

"So a promotion?!"  
"Of sorts- it's not an easy job, Ms. Lewis. As co-director of committee for Tactical Development, you are being handed a great deal of responsibility and liability- your role in our organization will suddenly have a huge backsplash."

Darcy leaned back in her chair and gasped.

How was she expected to do this?! This was big kid stuff- lives were now on her hands on a grander scale than she'd ever experienced, and so much more was riding on her decision making- the very security of Earth.

"Ms. Lewis- have you thought about it? This is effective immediately. In the aftermath of the dark elf attack, we absolutely must diminish any if not all vulnerabilities in our defenses- do you comprehend the magnitude of what I'm saying here?"

Running her hands through her hair, Darcy tried to think clearly. A part of her wanted to run away- far far away, where no responsibility could catch her, and all she had to do was toast Poptarts and make coffee every other hour.

A second part of her- a quieter, but firmer part- nudged her. Reminded her of how useless she had felt growing up- even when she worked for Jane, she had nothing to show for it. This was a chance for her to command her own future- to make a name for herself. The gnawing in her gut didn't subside, but Darcy could feel her resolve growing.

"I'll do it. I can do this, I promise. I may ask for help, but that won't stop me or hinder me."

Agent Coulson grinned then, and stood up, holding his hand out for her to shake. Responding, Darcy firmly gripped Phil's hand, but stopped when he winced. She wondered again what had happened to him after New York, but shook the thought away and then asked, "Who's the other director, by the way?"

That sad smile ghosted on Phil's face again. This time it didn't reach his eyes, and something in Darcy clenched with irrational fear.

"It's more like a two person committee, first of all. Second of all, in SHIELD's eyes… you are the only member. The other person… He is part of a very large, very important compromise. I can't tell you who he is right this minute- you don't have clearance yet. It should be official after you sign the papers I have right- here they are!"

Darcy internalized her growing worries, and instead forced herself to read the entire contract, including fine print. The listed starting salary nearly gave her a heart attack- it looked like she could afford expensive coffee _and _a scone every morning for the rest of her life. And she seemed to have a lot more perks than before, including a security guard (which was weird) and new quarters in Stark Tower of all places. With a steadier hand than she had expected, Darcy Lewis signed the papers with a flourish.

"Congratulations, Ms. Lewis. You now play a vital role in the defense of this planet. Also, I meant to let you know- I'm sure you know about the holiday party planned for this Friday. I want you to attend another event that evening- also black tie, but much more exclusive. It's a chance to introduce you to the people you'll be working with, and you'll also get a chance to chat with your new co-chair."

Darcy could feel butterflies in her tummy at the thought of a swanky private party, but she grinned brightly and agreed.

Phil escorted her to a large office further down the hall, discussing all the while Darcy's experiences in her short time working for SHIELD thus far. She didn't realize where she was until Agent Coulson ushered her into a seat behind the executive sized desk- it was an office for a CEO- huge, airy, and completely decked out with high-tech gear and chrome finishes. Coulson turned a small coffee cup around to face Darcy- in SHIELD font, it read "DARCY LEWIS- Director of Tactical Development".

Tears misted in her eyes, and as Darcy got up to hug the agent, he shook his head and hurriedly backed away, out of the office and down the hall. "How did he know I was gonna say yes?"

Darcy sat back down and checked the fancy holographic calendar programmed onto the surface of her desk- belatedly, she realized that this even fancier party was also tomorrow- and she was expected to arrive at Stark Tower at 6 PM sharp. Glancing at her watch, Darcy made a snap decision. She took the elevator back to her floor, only to be handed a final pay check from the somber receptionist- her desk had been emptied, she informed her, and its contents would be sent to her new office within the hour. Perturbed but slightly relieved, Darcy ignored SHIELD's micromanaging and grabbed her coat and purse from the front desk, stopping only at the ATM for the bank SHIELD made all its employees go to, where she deposited her check. Relived at the sudden growth of her checking account balance, Darcy splurged and hailed a taxi. Instead of heading to Macy's like she'd originally planned, she told the cabbie to take her to a fancy Atelier downtown, an upscale place she'd walked past a million times when sightseeing.

Once she arrived, Darcy smoothed her suit and tried to fix her hair a little, knowing that she was probably in for some Pretty Woman-style judgment from the associates inside the shop. She was very surprised, then, when upon entering, a lovely middle aged woman ushered her in, offering her sparkling water and those fancy French macaroons.

Darcy took a seat in the dressing area where two women brought out gowns of every color and cut. She felt out of place, but not uncomfortable. She only wished that Jane was there, even though of late Darcy had resented her for ditching her. For an hour, Darcy tried on a multitude of dresses. Unfortunately for her and over solicitous attendees, Darcy's bust was too big for more than 2/3 of the dresses. Disheartened, Darcy was about to call it a day, when a new attendant brought out a final dress.

"I think this would be quite perfect for you, if you wouldn't mind trying it on."

For some reason, Darcy listened to the woman. She slipped the gown over her head and it literally floated around her body, hugging her chest but not suffocating her. It was a relief, really, because she normally felt like she couldn't breathe in fancy dresses.

As Darcy stepped out in front of the three way mirror, the three attendants gasped.  
"It's fabulous! Wonderful!" "The fit is divine! It looks custom made!"

Darcy said nothing. She was too shocked to speak; the reflection in the mirror was a little astounding. The dress itself was simple- a deep emerald green, the material silken but not slippery. The light reflected off the dress, changing colors at different perspectives. The sweetheart neckline was demure for Darcy- her cleavage was visible, which was inevitable for her, but instead of squeezing her breasts upward, they merely accentuated her figure. The trail of the dress was simple, dragging a bit but with heels, the issue would be remedied.  
After another moment, Darcy found her voice, and croaked "I'll take it!"

Thrilled at the thought of the commission, the employees graciously rung her up, charging her a neat $1200 for the dress (Darcy almost choked at the sight of the receipt), but the older one who had brought her the dress handed Darcy a second bag.

"I hope you look perfect for your evening, Ms. Lewis."

On the carbide home, Darcy opened the second bag. Inside was a large shoebox, within which were a pair of delicate gold high heeled sandals with criss-crossing straps. There was also a jewelry box tucked inside, the old fashioned velvet kind Darcy's grandma kept in her dresser drawer. The box contained a beautiful bib necklace- thin gold chains with scattered peridot and emeralds. It was obviously real, and Darcy's heart nearly imploded at the sight of the beautiful jewelry.

She wanted to return it immediately, but it was past 7 by then and the shop would be closed. Darcy resolved to return it first thing Saturday morning, after the party.

Returning the boxes to the bag, Darcy relaxed a bit and gazed out the window at the blurred city around her. It was amazing how much could change in 6 months- she could remember the snip-snip of the scissors as she cut off her curls and made a decision to alter the course of her life. She was on a completely different path now, and she had no idea where it would lead her.

Grinning, Darcy paid the cab driver his exorbitant fee and took her bags to her apartment. On the door she found a note- "Effective tomorrow, all items inside will be transported to their new location. See phone for address."

Darcy checked her work phone and laughed- there was a text from SHIELD, telling her to meet the company car at 9 AM the next morning. Everything really was changing for her, and she was pretty sure she was going to like it. As she hung up her dress in her closet, Darcy took a long look at herself in the mirror.

Something defining was about to happen to her- she just knew it.

**ENJOY! I really like writing emotionally okay darcy, it's a good change. Please, read and review! I update as often as I can1**


	3. Sweeter Than Heaven and Hotter Than Hell

**I love party scenes… don't you? Please read, enjoy, and review if you want!**

**xoxo**

Darcy was becoming more and more convinced that SHIELD and Stark Industries had a monopoly on all the gorgeous views in New York City. Her new apartment was closer to a penthouse than she cared to admit, and the huge floor to ceiling windows absolutely screamed wealth. Mostly, though, Darcy was thrilled at all the new space and amenities- within the building was a private gym, indoor pool, and a sauna- Darcy could finally cross that off her list of random things to try.

She couldn't really enjoy her new place though- she had some work related paperwork to complete, so she had to return to HR at SHIELD for a few hours in the morning after moving in. By the time Darcy was done, it was almost noon, and she realized that she needed to start preparing for the party that evening.

Darcy stopped by a salon to get her eyebrows waxed as well as a manicure. The beautician was so persuasive that Darcy also got a facial made out of rose petals and mango, leaving her skin smooth and fragrant. Her various errands kept her out of the house until around 4, and by then Darcy was fully panicking about being ready on time. Rushing home, she immediately began to primp.

After showering and blowing out her hair, Darcy settled down in front of her fancy new dresser, beginning a regime of beautification she had perfected throughout her 20 something years of life. It took about half an hour for her to finish applying her makeup and another twenty minutes to style her hair. By then, it was close to 5:30. Darcy finally shrugged out of her robe and put on her least favorite bra- the fancy one that hid the straps and emphasized her already impressive cleavage. She wore a simple black thong, considering the fact that she didn't expect to find a one-night-stand at such a classy event. Finally, Darcy gently slipped the on her dress. The cool silk was feather light against her skin, and she shivered at the sensuous feel of it. Darcy marveled at it in the mirror- she had never, ever worn something so beautiful, and to top it off, she wasn't uncomfortable with the way her boobs looked. Normally she slouched or covered up in order to prevent men staring, but tonight, everything was perfect. Darcy strapped on her gold shoes, which were unusually comfortable for their 6 inch heels. The final touch to her look was the necklace- it was so ornate, Darcy decided against wearing any other jewelry besides the simple gold bracelet her mom had given her on her 21st birthday. Grabbing a white wrap and her clutch, Darcy headed downstairs to the car waiting for her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The party was being held in Stark Tower, the tall, gleaming building Darcy had always found to be a bit phallic. She was excited at the prospect of potentially meeting someone famous- maybe even Tony Stark, if she as lucky. A tuxedoed doorman at the entrance helped Darcy out of the car and led her to the elevator. He pressed the penthouse button, and suddenly Darcy was struck at how things had changed. Her life was once a simple thing- take notes, make coffee, put Jane to bed. Now she was in an executive official in an international organization dedicated to saving the world. The elevator doors opened silently, and Darcy stepped into what seemed like a movie set. Before her was a dazzling ballroom, tastefully decorated with sweeping chandeliers and champagne fountains. Waiters in black tie silently moved about, offering drinks and hors d'oeuvres to the guests. Soft music wafted through the air, indistinct but clear enough that Darcy her favorite piece by Schubert.

As she stepped forward, a smiling woman welcomed her graciously. "Hello, you must be Darcy. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard such amazing things about you!" The genuine kindness in her eyes was surprising to Darcy, but she smiled broadly and replied, "You're being super generous with your praise! It's just little ol' me, though I must say, I feel very special being invited to this gorgeous affair!"

Darcy took in the hostess' glowing red hair and her black couture gown- and she asked, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Are you Pepper Potts?!" She laughed in response and nodded. "You got me! I'm not technically the host this evening, but if you know Tony at all, you'll realize that it's better that I take care of formalities like this. Although, I would love to get together with you and talk sometime. Phil and I were discussing how quickly you caught executive attention- oops! That was a secret, but I think you ought to know!"

Darcy could feel her chin hit the ground. Before she could thank Pepper for her compliment, a waiter spilled a tray of canapés, causing the sweet woman to transform into the efficient business woman she was known to be.

Fifteen minutes later, Darcy had a flute of champagne and was wandering around the room, observing the finery surrounding her. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and for some reason everyone was unreasonably attractive. It was almost suspicious, but there was no time to ponder the matter because Coulson popped up beside her, looking dapper in a classic tux.  
"Darcy! I'm so glad you could make it- you look lovely."

"Thanks Phil, you're such a sweet talker."

Coulson laughed and took her arm, introducing her to the director of this and the chair of that- Darcy tried her best to remember faces and names, knowing that they would serve her in the future. The women were nice enough, most of them at least ten years older than Darcy, but there was a coldness to their tone implying condescension and undeniably, jealousy. Darcy was used to making women feel threatened, but tonight she didn't mind it because she knew she looked drop-dead gorgeous, for once.

Phil finally had reached an area with a scattering of dainty tables. Taking a seat, the two of them joked and made small talk. Darcy began to sense an awkward silence looming, so she grasped at the only topic of conversation she could think of.

"Oh yeah, Phil- remember at our meeting, you said I'd meet my co-chair tonight?" The words had barely left her mouth when Coulson's expression darkened entirely. The alteration was startling, and obviously Darcy showed it because Coulson reassuring patted her shoulder and responded, "Of course. He'll be here later tonight. He's not from around here- a foreigner."

Darcy couldn't understand why he was being so oblique- all she wanted was a name. Before Darcy could reply, a booming voice cut in.

"Agent! Old buddy, how are ya!?" And before them stood, in a beautifully cut suit with an open collar and bow tie, Tony Stark.

"I'm good Stark. I'd like to introduce you to-"

Tony shushed Phil and sat across from Darcy. "You're the new girl. You're Darcy Lewis!"

Flabbergasted at the bizarreness, all she could do was nod and stammer, "Yea-yeah, that's me."

"You're quite a mystery, aren't ya? You used to work for Blondie's girlfriend, didn't ya?"

Darcy felt defensive for no reason at all, so she replied a bit sharper than she had intended.

"If I'm translating that crazy-speak correctly, yes, I was an intern for Dr. Foster, who is involved with Thor."

"Tony, you're being an ass."

"Shut up, Phil! I just wanna get to know the new whiz kid on the block!"

"I'm sorry, but Coulson what did you tell everyone? I'm some kind of idiot savant in their eyes, and I swear, I know when I'm being made fun of."

"I assure you, Ms. Lewis, no one means you any harm." A new voice interrupted, soft and husky but completely arresting. Something about the voice made Darcy feel instantly insecure about her own unique timbre.

A stunning redheaded woman had quietly joined the group without capturing anyone's attention- and Darcy spoke before thinking. "You're the Black Widow!"

Mortified at her gaffe, Darcy covered her mouth and shook her head.

The bombshell woman before her chuckled alluringly, her voice surprisingly deep for such a delicate beauty. "It is fine- I am. You shouldn't worry about being an object of attention tonight- it's just the novelty of someone as young as you reaching such heights so swiftly."

Before she could thank her, the Widow glided away and Darcy realized she had no idea what her real name was.

"She's a knockout, isn't she? In more ways than one, to be honest." Tony dead panned, and Darcy couldn't help but laugh. A random man tapped her shoulder, and asked her for a dance. A little nervously, she agreed, and for an uncomfortable five minutes, Darcy tried to look graceful on the dance floor, desperately attempting to waltz without messing up. The stranger's hand on her waist felt alien and stiff, and the music seemed oddly empty to Darcy despite the obvious skill of the musicians.

As soon as the song finished, she thanked her partner and walked away, making a beeline for the waiter with the yummy mini calzones. Before she reached them, however, someone took her hand and told her to "follow him". Seeing that they were an agent, Darcy didn't resist.

They walked silently to the other side of the ballroom, walking through a pair of French doors to a huge balcony, overlooking the glittering city lights. Darcy wanted to admire the view but a deep voice startled her.

"Ms. Lewis, I'm glad you've made it. Do you know who I am?"

A tall man stood before her, wearing an incredibly dramatic leather overcoat and an eye-patch. Racking her brains, Darcy tried to identify the man but couldn't, helplessly shaking her head.

"Good. I'm Director Fury, of SHIELD. I'm here to discuss your recent assignment from Agent Coulson."

"Or you could let me do my job, the way we originally planned it." Agent Coulson stepped into the shadows, an irritated sigh escaping his mouth.

"Ms. Lewis, I am sorry for all this skulking around. If it wasn't necessary, we wouldn't go to such extremes." He sounded genuinely apologetic, so Darcy told them it was okay, SHIELD was known for this stuff.

"I just want to know why I'm here, is all. The more I know, the more comfortable I feel."

"I completely understand, and that's why Agent Coulson is going to explain everything."

Fury and Phil exchanged a look laden with hidden meaning, and Darcy couldn't help but wonder what was going through their minds. The director walked away, leaving Coulson and Darcy alone.

"I think it best that we discuss your partner while en route to meeting him. Do you mind going on a field trip?"

"Field trip? How far are we going? The party's barely begun, anyways."

Phil rubbed his eyes wearily and shook his head.

"This is crazy… listen, I don't have a choice here. If it were up to me, you'd do this job alone. Hell, you wouldn't have to do this job at all. But I can't send you into this blind. Not with a clear conscience. The man you are going to work with- he's not normal. He's a genius, with a brilliant mind and a stunning grasp on strategizing; similar to you, really. But he's dark… he's got a bad side, and we've seen it before. I just… we have to cooperate with him, in order to make some very important people happy. Earth will benefit greatly from making this alliance work… I just wish you didn't have to be the one…"

Darcy grew more and more alarmed with each passing word. Phil was visibly agitated, breathing shallowly and his skin becoming more pallid.

"I don't know what to say- everything you've described makes it seem like you don't think I'm cut out for this job- this partnership."

Coulson shook his head and laughed.

"Ironically, no! It's the opposite- you are perfect for this! You of all the people in SHIELD, you can understand this person. You have more insight than you give yourself credit for, especially in this particular case."

"I'm not sure that I'm reassured."

"Just come along, Darcy. You can back out. It'll be a bitch to process the paperwork, but we can't force you. I won't let them."

Darcy stepped closer to Phil and held out her forearm.

"Shall we?"

The older man smiled sadly, and once again Darcy wondered how it was possible he even stood before her.

"We shall. Would you like to change first, though?"

"Are we hiking through mud?"

"No, we're indoors."

"Then I'll look like Cinderella a little while longer, since I have to leave the ball early."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Darcy had never seen the bowels of SHIELD headquarters- hell, she hadn't known how expansive the place really was. They had to be a few floors underground, at least, and the concrete walls lit only by flickering industrial lights scared her more than Darcy cared to admit.

"It's a little creepy down here, even for SHIELD. Is this the best place to meet my new bff?"

"Ha-ha. Very funny. And… this is beyond a doubt, the best place."

"Can you cut the super spy shit and tell me the dude's name, Phil? Pretend we're in New Mexico, and I'm just iPod Darcy and you're Agent Asshole again. No Avengers, no Chitauri-"

"Don't joke about that. It happened, that attack happened, and _everything _is different because of it." The vehemence in Phil's voice frightened Darcy, so she retreated and silently followed him.

Finally, they reached a doorway with no windows.

Before the doors stood two armed guards, each at attention and carrying weapons unknown to Darcy. They immediately opened the doors behind them with an optical scanner, saluting as Coulson nodded at them. He looked pretty badass for a balding middle aged man in a tuxedo.

"Darcy, we're in a maximum security part of SHIELD. I don't want to frighten you, but this partner of yours… he may be a little hostile. Rude, even."  
Darcy rolled her eyes and flippantly replied, "Think I can't handle rude? I once tazed a god, I think I can handle a surly foreigner."

They walked for a long time again- there were small cells, with darkened glass. Darcy couldn't tell if anyone was even inside, and a part of her was glad to be ignorant. A small part of her began to worry at what little knowledge she had- and a hunch struck her.

"This is a prison, right Phil?"

"Of sorts."

"And… this is where the extra bad baddies go, no?"

"You could say that."

Coulson's vague, noncommittal tone sent warning signals to Darcy's very core, but she kept walking.

"Am I in danger, in this new position?"

"You'll have a security detail. You'll be protected. But there is a certain degree of danger to any SHIELD job."

Finally, Coulson stopped before a certain cell. It was wider than the others preceding it, and its windows were completely black.

"Darcy… I just want you to know… I'm really sorry about this."

"You sound like you're about to murder me!" Darcy's voice was shrill with fear, because a couple of puzzle pieces had just fallen into place- and as Phil typed in some code into a keypad, the windows became more opaque, until they were transparent. At first, all Darcy could see within the cell was white, but as her eyes adjusted to the change she could see the bed and desk, as well as a small toilet- almost cute, but in context, horrifying.

"Where's… my partner?"

"I'm right here, Ms. Lewis."

Both Phil and Darcy started as a figure suddenly appeared directly on the other side of the glass.

Tall. Pale. Angular jaw, creeping black hair.

For the second time that night, Darcy spoke without thinking.

"You're Loki!"

The aforementioned prince turned to Phil and laughed. "She's quite astute, isn't she?"

Darcy couldn't speak- she knew that it made sense, and all those hints had been so obvious in retrospect, but for some reason she couldn't comprehend the situation unfolding before her.

"I have to work with him? He's a war criminal- what's he doing on Earth?! Why are we cooperating with the likes of him!?"

"I am right here, Ms. Lewis. Mustn't forget our manners, shall we?"

The wickedness in his voice was so cultivated, it made Darcy's skin crawl. She tore her angry glare away from Loki to look for Phil, but he had suddenly disappeared as well. Nerves jumping, Darcy attempted to get a better hold of the situation.

"I'm Darcy, but you already knew that. I already know that you're Loki, of Asgard slash Jotunheim- don't make that face at me, I know a lot about you!"

The sneer on Loki's face made Darcy want to run away, but she held firm, even as he hissed, "Do not presume to know me, mortal. I am more than anyone you have ever met."

"More what?"

"More _everything._"

The smirk was back, and so was the hauteur- and Darcy knew a shield when she saw one. This was one broken cookie, and more puzzle pieces fell into place for her.

"I suppose you were a bargaining chip for Asgard?"

"You wouldn't be incorrect."

"What does Earth get out of dealing with Odin's problem child?"

"How dare you speak to me like that- I am a King!"

Darcy huffed in disbelief- of all the traits this megalomaniac had to possess, did he have to be a giant diva?

"Okay, let's get two things straight- first, you are not a King, not of anything. It sucks, considering you were brought up thinking you were gonna have a throne, but them's the breaks. Second, this isn't a monarchy, and no one voted you Prom Queen. You aren't just an average joe, you are a man who has hurt many, many people, and killed even more. You have done terrible things, but clearly, someone sees a purpose in you. I'm willing to bet that you don't wanna be here, any more than I do, but here we are. Let's make the best of it. I won't promise to love and forgive you, because you tried to enslave my people and destroy our civilization, but I promise not to treat you like shit."

Until that point, Loki had a bemused expression on his face; it screamed of condescension and mockery. At her final statement however, his guard momentarily dropped and she saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"That's right. I am very capable of being amicable and nice, and I'm good company too. We're apparently going to be working together, so let's not make it any worse than it has to be."

"You make it sound very simple Ms. Lewis."  
"Call me Darcy."

"Well then, Darcy… if we are to work together, you must realize now… nothing, not one thing about me, is simple."

Something in his voice made Darcy want to step closer to him, but the glass was still there thank god, and she came to her senses.

Stumbling, she backed away. "I gotta go! Long night, big day tomorrow! Bye!"

And as abruptly as she had arrived, Darcy ran away. She would do this- damned if she would give up.

But she knew that somewhere down the line, she'd pay a price. There was always a price when you played with fire, and as far as she could tell, Loki was an out of control inferno.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lying back on his cot, Loki kept conjuring images of the woman in his mind.

He had known the once-Allfather would pawn him off to the highest bidder, but he hadn't expected Midgard to be the one to "post his bail." When he was told his new role within SHIELD, it made sense. That Fury needed weapons- bigger, better technology, beyond the reach of Midgard's grasping fingers. SHIELD needed Asgardian weaponry, and it came- at a cost.

Babysitting Loki was what Fury referred to it as. He wondered if the Lewis girl knew just how close she was to becoming collateral damage- at any moment, he felt as though he could engulf the entire corridor of cells in flames, freeing himself and countless other miscreants.

He settled instead for simpler mischief, biding his time.

Loki had also expected a visit, from whoever his keeper was to be.

He had eliminated any Avenger from his list of potential candidates- they would have nothing to do with him. Neither would that lackey, Coulson. He hadn't really recovered well from dying, to Loki's chagrin. He felt no guilt, but also did not enjoy watching a shell of a man. Beyond that, Loki had no idea who would be suited to SHIELD's agenda, until he saw Darcy Lewis.

She was perfect, for both SHIELD and him.

She was young- her skin was unblemished, and smooth, and very white. Her mouth was plump and eyes wide, making her seem younger than she actually was.

She had been dressed oddly- some kind of finery, although simpler than what he was accustomed to on Asgard. He couldn't deny her beauty, nor his physical attraction to her. After years of celibacy, Loki had felt a surge of lust for the specimen SHIELD had literally offered to him on a silver platter- and wasn't he known for his silver tongue?

Loki was going to be free.

He was going to be a king. And before he took his rightful throne, he would bed Darcy Lewis, and then destroy her.

**A/N:**

**So this Loki is full on hella naughty! I really want to make the chemistry between the two unbearably strong, but I also don't want to unrealistically thrust them into a relationship. Love you all, pls read and review!**


	4. Restless Summer Air

**I've decided to maintain my storyline, after watching Thor 2. I just don't want to scrap everything I've planned and start over fresh, especially with the big ol' cliffhanger at the end of the film being so vague. That being said, I apologize for the wait, and I hope you enjoy what I've got! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Xo – Author**

(One week post-Loki encounter)

Darcy had never been afraid to go to work before. There had been mornings when she'd felt a little bit of trepidation, or she just didn't want to go out of sheer laziness, but never had she ever felt terror at the thought of facing her duties. Part of it was because of the amount of responsibility SHIELD had just dropped on her shoulders in a matter of days- but mostly, Darcy was scared of _who _she was going to work with.

After running out of the "dungeon" in SHIELD's bowels, a guard had escorted her to a car waiting out front. Darcy sat in the back with the divider up, shivering with fear and what was undeniably, excitement.

The moment Loki had begun to speak, Darcy had felt a tug in her lower abdomen, and a quiver of attraction had run through her like electricity. 5 days had passed, and she couldn't get the timbre of his voice out of her mind- it was an endless loop of him carelessly uttering the phrase, _"I am right here, Ms. Lewis…". _

Her first day of work was awful- she had worn two layers of deodorant but she was already sweating bullets upon arriving at the office. She was welcomed by a cheery secretary named Marge, who explained Darcy's daily schedule to her in great detail. The presence of the sweet, chubby old woman was slightly reassuring, but all relief evaporated upon viewing the second, slightly less ostentation desk across from hers in the huge office.

The rest of the day passed quickly- there were scenarios to evaluate, but Darcy now had dozens of agents at her disposal, whose sole task was to research and report on separate aspects of any given case. There was only scenario on her docket that first day, but it was a big 'un, as her dad would've called it. A situation in Japan with a giant lizard creature (a hopeful voice in Darcy's head screamed GODZILLA!) called for a great deal of attention from SHIELD, which had an office in Tokyo.

Darcy divided the case into reportable sections- background, people involved, risks, causes, and etcetera. With a single click, she was able to send out her assignments to the agents most qualified in their respective areas, leaving Darcy with naught to do but twiddle her thumbs, and fixate about her absentee co-chair.

Her second day wasn't much different, but instead of one case file, there were five on her desk, with a sticky note on the top that had "Keep busy! (:" scrawled on it.

Ignoring the passive aggression of the author of the note, Darcy did keep busy. She attacked the cases with gusto, using her discretion to determine who would evaluate what. Some case files were for her eyes only, and she had to do the research herself, but that was perfectly okay with her. She would've gone back to filing paperwork for Jane if it meant distracting herself from the voice in her head that had a particularly seductive accent.

Days passed.

The other desk's occupant never showed up.  
Darcy sent a few tentative emails to Coulson, to which he did not reply.

She settled into a routine. It was a lonely business, being in charge of a huge department. Beyond agents coming in to collect signatures, she had very little contact with anyone, during and after work. She understood that she worked with highly sensitive information, including the identities of very important super-people, but it made for a slightly depressed Darcy to never go out.

One week of work blurred into the next, and a month had passed with nothing occurring out of the ordinary. Darcy's workload grew steadily, and as she grew more confident in her underlings, and more importantly, herself, her results became even more exemplary.

Soon, she was completing dozens of case evaluations per day, and that was when she was called into a meeting with a few other department heads regarding involving Darcy in more of the operations side of SHIELD, while overseeing the logistical.

It wasn't quite a promotion, but an expansion of her job, and Darcy relished the change because it meant human interaction. There was an Agent Diaz, and Agent Hill, and countless others with which she consulted and planned missions- who would do what, where, when, and most importantly, how.

Three days after the change, Darcy ran into Phil in the coffee lounge, and she was finally able to corner him.

"I wonder why a certain someone has been ignoring my emails- you wouldn't happen to know, right Agent?!" Darcy spat out the words with more anger than intended, possibly because she hadn't realized the full extent of her irritation at being disregarded.

He had the grace to look sheepish, but Coulson's tone was firm as he replied,

"I didn't reply because I lacked an answer to your multiple queries, Ms. Lewis. I cannot account for the availability of your coworker- that is up to the people in the sky, and the man with the thunder."

"I'm sorry but I don't speak spy language, Coulson. Is Loki in Asgard? Is he in trouble for doing something bad again? But wasn't he under our watch?!"

"I'd advise you to keep your voice down. He isn't very popular anywhere, really, but especially not here."

Darcy softened, remembering that Loki had been the one to "kill" Coulson.

"I don't mean to attack you… it's just- he scared me. And now I feel like when I see him again- if I see him, I won't be able to adjust. His appearances never tend to go well for me."

Phil chuckled and drily quipped, "Join the Club. Free membership."

"Don't get snarky on me, that's my schtick!"

Darcy went home that night feeling better- things were settling down, she was kicking ass at making SHIELD's missions successful, and there was cute guy who had winked at her across the hall from her office that day.

Unlocking her door, Darcy toed off her heels and made a beeline for her fridge, grabbing a chilled beer. It was an unusually hot day for the season, and the air conditioner was taking too long to kick in. Padding into her bedroom, Darcy began to change. She had worn her favorite pant suit that day- a killer charcoal pinstripe number she had paired with a blouse the color of deep red wine. Stepping out of the slacks left her in just her blouse, and Darcy finally began to cool off. Reaching underneath the shirt, she undid her bra and breathed deeply, finally able to inhale comfortably.

Darcy stripped off her shirt and headed for her bathroom, pausing to unpin her curls from their knot, and stepped into the shower. Very soon, the air was humid and steam-filled. Feeling more blissed out than usual, Darcy let the stream of water pound on her scalp, her neck, her breasts.

Unbidden, a voice crept into her mind.

"_I'm right here, Ms. Lewis."_

She shivered imperceptibly in the hot water, and shook herself.  
Darcy ignored it, and began to shave her legs. After she was done, she took her body wash and began to clean her body.

"_Allow me to assist, Ms. Lewis."_

The voice was startlingly near, not from within her head but in the room with her- but Darcy was alone in the shower. She resumed her scrubbing, starting from her feet and working her way up.

She was about to give her breasts a perfunctory lather when suddenly, something slowed her hands. Darcy felt almost compelled to caress herself- gentle, sweeping touches, over and over again. She began to feel more than a little aroused, as her hands trailed down the valley between her breasts.

Swept away in the moment, her hand crept lower, between her legs, when Darcy felt something brush against her forearm.

"FUCK!" Darcy slipped and nearly banged her head against the wall, barely hanging onto the edge of the tub.

She was alone, she knew that much. Whatever was wrong with her was in her head, she supposed, and she quickly wrapped up her shower and vacated the bathroom.

After a dissatisfactory dinner and some dumb TV, Darcy got ready for bed.

Normally, she would consider watching movies or doing extra work, but for some reason, Darcy was listless and irritable. The heat wave wasn't desisting, and her sheets clung to her skin like a lover's touch. Darcy was unsure if her experience in the shower was imagined, or not, but the desire was still dormant within her, and she was pretty sure a certain nightmare of a man was to blame.

Putting any thoughts of Loki out of her head, Darcy turned off her lights and shut her eyes, slipping quickly into a deep slumber.

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It was frustrating, always having one's plans thwarted by those less intelligent than them.

Loki had spent millennia tolerating Thor's annoying tendency to stumble onto solutions, as if the universe was hell-bent on making sure the god of thunder never had to meet failure.

He wished that the universe could have done the same for him, just once.  
The Dark Elves had interrupted what was sure to have been an infinite sojourn in the cell his family had so lovingly tossed Loki into. His anger at Thor and Odin had not lessened one iota- Loki could destroy everything in the nine realms if it meant he could make them suffer as he had suffered- but Frigga?

His mother was dead.

And it may have been at his hand.

And there was nothing to be done about that. Even when the Dark Elves were destroyed, Loki had to retreat to his shadows, utilizing stealth and magic and every ounce of wit he possessed.

It wasn't enough though. Odin wasn't content to let him rot in his own corner of the universe.

Loki was captured unceremoniously and trussed up like a sow, left to the Allfather's disposal as a bargaining chip in his endless attempts to remain all powerful.

Thor hadn't even blinked when he saw Loki in worse form than before (Odin's men had not been kind, and he had lost his magic to his "father" yet again), only nodding once in acknowledgement of his presence.

The absence of a response was even worse than Thor's usual buffoonish attempts to reach out to Loki. For once, he had lacked any intention of wreaking mayhem, or spreading chaos. All he wanted was to find a quiet place, far away from Asgard or Midgard- he could read, and mourn, and think. And when he was done with all that, he would end it all.

It would've been enough to be left alone with his thoughts and guilt and misery, but his damnable family had to compound it and treat him like a fur pelt to barter with.

Upon learning that he was to be SHIELD's new guest, Loki realized his older goal. Odin was indeed acknowledging that Loki was powerful- too powerful for him to bother with containing, so who better to foist him onto than a government agency that was a little bit too curious for its' planets own good.

Loki doubted that SHIELD understood that they were getting the short end of the stick- any weaponry Odin would trade in return would be obsolete on Asgard, and despite his disdain for Midgardians, he knew that in a mere decade they would surpass the technology they had been gifted.

It didn't matter.

He was resigned to a lifetime of boredom in yet another cell, with no company and few amenities.

He didn't expect to be given any duties- let alone of any importance. Loki was more surprised to see Agent Coulson- he was oddly glad to see the man had survived his mortal wounds- but to be told that he would earn his keep?

Loki didn't play that way, and he showed it.

Weeks passed, and he heard no word from anyone. 3 meals, 3 times a day. Clean clothes twice a week.

With no other contact, Loki retreated into his memories and thoughts, examining centuries of existence.

Eventually he stopped even that, depressed that despite all of that living, he had never really _lived-_

No woman had loved him, no kingdom had knelt before him, no mortal had worshipped him.

Despondency barely set in before Coulson randomly visited his cell, toting a female Midgardian with him.

Old habits die hard, so Loki took minute pleasure in scaring them both. He was rewarded with a thorough examination of the wide eyed, frightened woman before him, although she seemed far too young to be in the company of Coulson.

Then Coulson explained their new relationship- coworkers, he called them- and Loki felt his fury growing.

SHIELD thought so little of the potential havoc Loki could wreak on the chit of a girl, should he work with her- it was a slap on the face, and he was unwilling to take it.

So he resolved to destroy Darcy Lewis, starting with her morals and ending with her body- he would end her life and he would draw great pleasure from it.

He then destroyed all the furniture in his room as a message to SHIELD- unfortunately they only responded by locking him in solitary confinement- a closet with a chair and chains.

Weeks passed until his release. By the time he was out, Loki had formulated an entire plan to retake his rightful position as ruler of the realms.

It would only require a bit of seduction, trickery, and magic. All three were skills Loki had honed for thousands of years, and to employ them all at once would render him unstoppable.

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Work the next morning was a bitch for Darcy. She had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep for long. When she did drop off, she dreamt of random sexual encounters with faceless men- and each time she awoke, she was gasping for a pleasure she just kept on missing.

It made for a grumpy Darcy, so she delegated more work than usual to her minions, hoping they wouldn't notice.

From 9 AM to around noon, she checked in on correspondences- Darcy had multiple contacts in the government and its agencies, and she often paid to get insider information on their over-seas operations. The office was stuffy as the heat wave from hell stubbornly hung over the city, so Darcy decided she had no choice but to take an extra-long lunch at her favorite sushi bar down the street.

An hour and a half later, Darcy walked back to work a little less steadily than on the way to the restaurant- she may have enjoyed a few shots of sake to cope with her unresolved sexual frustration.

On the way up, Agent Hill caught her and reminded her of an important meeting with the big guns (SHIELD's stupid code name for the partially assembled Avengers) later that week.  
Darcy nodded pleasantly, but groaned as soon as Hill's back turned. Meetings with the "big guns" meant something big was coming, and she hadn't heard anything about it, meaning she was going into that meeting blind.

Darcy was so embroiled in her inner angst that she walked into her office and sat down for a full five minutes before realizing that she _was not alone. _

Seconds passed before Darcy groped to fill the silence that loomed before her.

"Nice to see you again Loki!"

The man in question's eyebrows rose by a fraction, and he suddenly looked a lot less scary and a lot more like a lost knight from a Renaissance fair.

"The pleasure is mine, Lady Lewis. I apologize for my tardiness to our arrangement, but alas, I had no choice in the matter."

The man's voice was smooth like butter, and Darcy felt a lot like she was the pancake he was spreading it on thick. _I better keep my guard up- he's up to something. I know it…_

And with that thought, Darcy tossed Loki a file.  
"This is the newest case. It's on suspicious activity in New Mexico- near where Blondie landed, actually, and we're going to infiltrate NASA's staff to closely examine what exactly they've got going on. Can you handle it?"

Loki scoffed, and cockily put his feet up on the desk, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I am a God who has existed longer than actual planets- I can completely this petty task with ease, Ms. Lewis."

Darcy ignored the bravado and got back to work, pointedly glancing at Loki's computer before she began typing furiously.

Holding her tongue was worth the wait, as she watched Loki attempt to log in to his computer to no avail. It was a full twenty minutes before he glanced in her direction. Wordlessly, Darcy set up an account without password protection, very aware that Loki was cataloguing her every move. She logged in and showed him how to operate the SHIELD online search system, avoiding email for the time being. Darcy left him to it, biting her cheek with mirth as Loki slowly typed in search keywords.  
Returning to her desk, she attempted to focus on her own work.

Unfortunately, her mind kept drifting to the night before, and the phantom hands in the shower, and the naughty dreams- the stranger hadn't been completely faceless- he had light eyes, hazel or greenish, maybe- and his eyelashes had been inky black. Darcy hadn't ever had a sex dream so visceral or detail oriented. She must have looked pretty vacant at that moment, as Loki cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows again, aiming them at her with a dangerous mischief.

Darcy felt something inside her shift gears- and all she could utter was a quiet "Shit!"

And Loki smiled slightly, pleased to see his plan so easily put into effect.

_Soon._

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**A/N Thanks all! Read and Review and tell me if this is utter crap! Love y'all!  
**


	5. Icarus is Flying Too Close to the Sun

**PLOT PLOT PLOT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE MY PLOT hahaha. I've been iced in for 2 days and I've had a toothache but that's no excuse for a delayed chapter! Read and review my lovelies!**

Meetings were the devil, in Darcy's opinion. Ever since her first "meeting" with her 6th grade science teacher and her parents where they discussed her reluctance to work with a bitchy classmate, Darcy had hated the idea of them. It was essentially forcing people who may not even like each other to have a long conversation about topics that were almost always boring.

Darcy Lewis saw through meetings at age 12, and more than ten years later she still thought they were bullshit.

The meeting she had to attend in 20 minutes was no exception- she was dreading leaving her office, which had grown to be as familiar as a second home. Up until then, Darcy had been utterly isolated, away from all the politics and intrigue of SHIELD.

Even worse, she had grown accustomed to a certain someone sitting across the room from her, slowly pecking away at his keyboard with painstakingly slow precision that made Darcy weep with frustration.

Frustration wasn't limited to office drama- her nights were agonizing and long. Darcy would head to bed by midnight almost daily, but she wouldn't fall asleep till at least 2. When she did drop off, the dreams would begin- steamy, weak-knee inducing dreams- but Darcy never, ever, _ever,_ was able to reach completion. She'd often wake up panting amongst damp, twisted sheets- sometimes she'd even try to finish the job, but there was never any satisfaction to be found.

That was why the meeting ahead of her was so damn repugnant.

Still, Darcy found herself with a legal pad and her fountain pad, sitting near the head of a long table in an executive conference room, surrounded by people she had never met before. All the agents arrived on time, and they all sat on one side of the table. Each was tragically dressed in a boxy black suit, paired with a plain white shirt and a variation of a black tie- it was a little to _Men in Black _for Darcy, who felt awkward in her bronze skirt and rust blouse.

Coulson walked in 2 minutes before the start time, taking a moment to nod at Darcy before he fell into deep conversation with Agent Hill at the front of the room. Sighing, Darcy leaned back into her seat, relishing the time away from Loki. It was strange to work near him, considering how little they interacted. It wasn't like she sought out conversation with him, but sometimes she'd greet him in the mornings, or offer to grab him coffee whenever she took a break.

His silence was unyielding, only punctuated by short, stilting questions regarding work or how to operate the computer. Gone was the charming seducer of before; new Loki was dull and unresponsive. Darcy had been worried for her safety too, but those fears had been dampened when she saw the two guards constantly standing near her office door, and who, at the end of the day, restrained Loki by the wrist and escorted him to what presumably was his dungeon.

It was odd, all in all.

Darcy's reverie was broken by the entrance of the "big guns", meaning the Avengers, of course. Out of uniform, they still seemed aloof and mysteriously powerful. Tony Stark sat directly across from her, winking at Darcy and asking Coulson how his girlfriend was doing simultaneously.

Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were warier, silently seating themselves at the end of the table closest to the exits, observing everything in the room without comment.

Dr. Banner was absent, as he was working at a secure location in Argentina on his research, far away from SHIELD. Steve Rogers was late, and his handsome face looked sheepish as he sat down near Coulson, who grinned widely at the broad shouldered soldier. Before Darcy could get any drool on the table at the sight of the man candy before her, another man walked in.

"Greetings, comrades in arms!"

Thor's voice was, as always, inappropriately loud, and in his Asgardian armor he looked completely out of place.

He didn't notice Darcy at first, as the meeting began and Hill began to discuss the nature of SHIELD's alliance with other realms. It was nothing special, at first. The logistics of several previous meetings were discussed, along with the varying degrees of success with each of them. Darcy didn't quite tune out, but her doodle of Captain America was getting quite detailed by the time she snapped back to reality.

Coulson was speaking by then, describing how imperative it was that Earth retain its good relationship with Asgard.

"We are, of course, in the position of a lesser here. Asgard surpasses us in technology and medical advancements, as well as their prolonged length of life. SHIELD's policy is to maintain peaceful regards between both realms, so that if the time comes, we will have an ally to reckon with."

Darcy had heard that story before- but she wasn't so sure she bought it. Thor stood and began to talk about his promise to protect this realm as if it were his very own. Darcy internally scoffed- Thor wouldn't think twice about Earth if Jane wasn't from it. It made her sad, how cynical she was towards the nicest man she had ever met, but Darcy wasn't a fan of the way SHIELD was kissing Asgard's ass- it was them, after, who fucked things up big time when they let their princes loose on Earth.

Thor concluded his grand speech with a vow to maintain the bond between "Asgard and Midgard" so that each party may benefit in the future.  
Darcy debated speaking up, but she had serious issues with what was being said around her- it sounded a lot like Asgard was going to wield big stick diplomacy if Earth didn't cower at their feet. Thor wrapped up his spiel right when Darcy blurted out, "I'm sorry, but am I the only one who sees something weird going on here?!"

Coulson immediately tried to quiet her, using his nicest "Now, Ms. Lewis…", but Darcy couldn't rein it in.

"Okay, I know that Asgard is where Thor hails from- hi, by the way- and that we are very scared of the people with weird helmets and alien armies and magic hammers, but aren't we getting the short end of the stick here?! It was Asgard who initially sent Thor to this planet, which set off the series of events which sent Loki's Destroyer down here, which ruined a town and led to the eventual incident in New York! They owe us a great deal, and I don't think they've even bothered to help with the reparations of the latest fiasco to hit London! I'm not saying we shouldn't appreciate our friends in the sky, but why are WE responsible for their mess?"

The faces of those around here were either a mirror of Coulson's- horrified- or else they looked slightly intrigued. Agent Hill piped up, sending a death glare Darcy's way before responding.

"Listen, Ms. Lewis' facts aren't wrong, but she is incorrect when she states that we- Earth- gain nothing from this alliance. We are, in exchange for custodianship of certain prisoners, receiving a great deal of technologically advanced weapons and transportation devices from Asgard. It's an undeniable sign of good will from the ruler in Asgard, and we are grateful to accept it in kind."

"That doesn't sound right to me at all, Agent Hill. I may be a lowly analyst for SHIELD, but you guys made me the head of an entire department so you have to put a little faith in me when I say that this is way too simple. Asgard can't get out of their culpability for their messes spilling over into our realm with some shiny toys and tech- hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and we're still picking up the pieces, in case anyone's forgotten. I'm just concerned that we're not being told something, and that something seems like it's gonna be a doozy. And why are we endangering ourselves by taking care of Asgard's biggest baddie?! It's not exactly putting us in the safest position."

"Are you done, Ms. Lewis?!" Coulson looked like he was on the verge of an aneurysm, and Darcy felt almost guilty for a second, but she pushed down the sentiment when she saw the grim set of Thor's jaw and his angry gaze towards her. It wasn't her fault that the situation described to her had set off a million warning bells in her mind. Darcy trusted her instincts now more than ever, after correctly interpreting information regarding countless missions. She was good at feeling out situations, and no angry Norse god was going to intimidate her into silence.

The silence was getting a bit awkward, with the only sound being Tony Stark chewing on a toothpick and tapping away at his fancy StarkTech phone.

The meeting continued, and Agent Hill did a good job of angrily glancing at Darcy every 5 minutes or so. It was getting unbearable, but the meeting finally ended. Darcy was trying to escape back to her office when she was cornered first by Tony Stark in the hall.

"Listen, kid- you seemed pretty on the money about our set up with the Von Trapps. I'm not so sure the tech we're getting from them is worth the risk either- look at this."

Tony held up his phone, which had a tiny hologram of some kind of hover thing.

"This is the first shipment of crap SHIELD received from Asgard. It's all nice enough, but it's nothing I haven't invented or have in the works- and the weapons are seriously similar to the Chitauri weapons we collected in 2012. None of it is new or radical. Also, I have no idea why we're housing their weirdo in this place, but it seems too fishy to be just a simple trade. Send Pepper an email, and I'll keep you posted."

Darcy mutely nodded, shocked at having her theory validated by a literal genius. She tried to flee once again, almost jogging in her sensible high heels, when a strong grip jerked her backwards.

"Lady Darcy!"

Oh, shit.  
"Thor! How are you, big guy?"

The somber look hadn't left his eyes, and it pained Darcy to see the biggest goofball she'd ever met besides herself so solemn.

"May we speak in private, Darcy?"

Unable to refuse, Darcy led Thor to her office, hoping that Loki wasn't present. Her prayers were answered, and then she was seated across from the god of Thunder himself.

"So what's up, Thor? It's been a while since London. We barely got to catch up!"

The false cheer faded when Thor responded.

"I must ask… why do you speak of my realm with such mistrust? Have we not earned the right to call Midgard our peer?"

"Thor, this isn't personal. I know you are one of the most loyal men in the universe- literally. I just can't vouch for an entire realm with the representation of one prince. Unfortunately, Thor… I've met the other prince of Asgard. Loki messed up bigger and badder than we could've ever imagined, and I just don't think we're being treated fairly or with respect by the royalty on your end."

Thor stood up in frustration, running his hands through his perpetually windblown locks.

"I am sorry Lady Darcy, but surely you know Loki is not of Asgard."

"Bullshit, Thor. He was raised amongst your people, he was trained by them, fought with them, hell even played with you as babies I bet! You can't deny that something about Asgard made Loki into the antagonist he is today!"

Thor returned to his seat and took Darcy's hands into his much larger ones. His eyes were incredibly sad at that moment, and Darcy felt bad for speaking so bluntly about the crimes of his infamous brother.

"I cannot deny… you are not incorrect. I shall reflect on what you have said today. If it is true… if we are mistreating Midgard… we must rectify the situation immediately. I thank you. I also must ask, how is it that I am speaking to you today?"

She blinked, unsure of what Thor was asking.

"I mean, why are you working with SHIELD? Jane told me that you were likely still working with our friend Erik, if at all."

That one stung, and Darcy's anger at Jane flared up once again.

"Well, Thor, after you whisked Jane away from the action and danger, I saved a few lives in London and then was flown back by SHIELD for debriefing. One week later, I was working as an analyst. Few more months and I was head of an entire department."

"I am most pleased for you, sister of my heart! It is gladdening to hear of your success, and I know that you will always do great things with your friends on Earth."

Surprisingly misty eyed, Darcy patted Thor on the arm. She walked him out, smiling and promising to stay in touch, although she had no idea how the hell she was supposed to.

Shutting the door after him, Darcy leaned against the door and sighed. It had been an exhausting afternoon, and she had managed to piss off several Very Important Agents.

"I thought he'd never leave… the dullard does love to hear himself speak."

"FUCK! What!"

Loki was seated casually behind his desk, sipping from a cup of coffee and grimacing.

"Where- how- you weren't here!"

"Not technically. I've always been good at being a shadow, Ms. Lewis."

"Don't fuck with me Loki- I have had an awful ass day and I will not tolerate your strange-ass trickster bullshit."

Loki's shoulders shook as he laughed, and Darcy felt that weird tingling in her stomach again.

"What the hell are you laughing at Tom Riddle?"

"You. Your inexplicable mangling of the English language is quite amusing, actually. And I am also laughing belatedly, at the recently exited buffoon."

"Yeesh, can you stop being a baby about big brother Thor for one second and explain how you did that little trick?"

Loki suddenly transformed from playful to serious, as he stood and approached her menacingly.

"Do not speak to me that way, if you value your life. I am not as weak as you mortals wish."

Darcy squeaked in fear and ran to the door, but Loki was suddenly there too, invading her personal space as he pinned her to the wall by the wrists.

"I can kill you in hundreds on manners, in this position alone, Ms. Lewis. I doubt you wish for that, and so I am sure you will not discuss my "tricks" with anyone outside of this chamber… Do you understand me?"

Heart in her throat, she nodded, attempting to catch her breath. What the fuck had she gotten herself into?

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Loki had quickly adapted to the work SHIELD had foisted on him, and the computer was a simple enough tool to comprehend, after a bit of practice. Asgard had far surpassed the tools of Midgardians, using magic and illusory arts far more often. It was tiresome at times, but Loki employed the barest sliver of his attention to the files before him, sparing a glance to each file before he tapped into his abilities to manipulate the machine before him to give him the answers he was searching for.

It left him plenty of time to plot, and even more importantly, watch the interesting mortal specimen before him.

Darcy Lewis was an anomaly- he had never met a woman so devoted to her work, and that was no mean feat considering he knew the Lady SIf (he considered her quite the heinous bitch). This woman, on the other hand, was soft. Despite her obvious wariness of him, Darcy was strangely accepting of his presence, offering him libations from time to time, and exchanging menial snippets of conversation. He refused her at every turn, denying her contact to him. She had no idea that Loki was very, very involved in her life- every night, Loki manipulated the Lady Lewis from his cell, using naught but a shadow of his magic. It was highly pleasurable to watch the simple mortal suffer from sexual frustration, showing her heights of passion in her subconscious every evening, only to deny her completion at every turn.

Soon, her irritation would give way to desperation, and that would be Loki's cue to carry on with the next phase of his plan to conquer the wretched blue planet.

He had been surprised when Thor of all people had followed Darcy into their office- she had looked very panicked as she entered, looking for Loki.  
Loki had chosen to not be seen, watching the exchange unfold before him. It was strange, seeing someone speak out against the Allfather and Thor so openly- it had been only him for so long, Loki almost felt something akin to gratitude to the simple girl. She had grasped the inequality in the agreement SHIELD had acquiesced to, and he was pleased that the target of his seduction was at least brighter than SHIELD's so called best and brightest.

Loki was even more pleased at Darcy's reaction to his reappearance- her cheeks flushed, and her voice was quavering with fear as she uttered curses and empty threats at him.

It had been fun, until she had mentioned Thor. And though Loki could have let the comment pass unnoticed, he realized that there was a window of opportunity before him- Darcy Lewis was very frustrated indeed, and why shouldn't he add to her conflicting feelings for her _oh so evil _coworker?

And then she had the audacity to run from him? It just wouldn't do.

Thus, he pinned her to the wall by her delicate wrists, holding them up high above her head so she was at her most vulnerable.

In her terror, Darcy was trembling, and her magnificent body was responding marvelously. As stretched out as she was, her blouse had untucked from her skirt, and exposing a thin sliver of pale white skin- Loki used one hand to carelessly brush his fingers against the side of her waist. He felt the ripple of desire run through her body, and for an instant Loki wanted to abandon everything and take her right then and there. His self-control was ever present though, so he instead chose to focus on Darcy's wrists. Loki ran his thumb over the point of her pulse, once, twice, a third time.

He could see her pupils dilate, and he felt he had done enough for the day. Dropping her carefully, Loki returned to his desk. Darcy remained near the wall, trying to regain her composure.

He returned to his work, aware of the furtive glances she took as she fixed her shirt and made her way back to her desk.

Things fell back to normal for a few minutes, and soon he heard her typing at her lightning fast speed again. Loki was satisfied by her acceptance of his threat, and was happy to see his tactics were achieving their desired effect.

Around 5 PM, Darcy had slipped off her shoes and was seemingly immersed in her work, while Loki was pretending to work and was instead deciding what his next course of action would be.

The silence was broken by Darcy.

"Loki, would you mind checking out something for a second? It's a tablet recovered near Stonehenge, and it is definitely covered in alien markings. Maybe they're familiar to you, you know?"

Loki amiable came behind Darcy's desk, and was bending to read off her monitor when he heard a slight rustling and then he heard a strange ZAP-

For a split instant, he saw stars, and then he realized he was slumped near her desk.

Darcy stood over him, with a black device in her hand which he presumed was a weapon of some sort.

Her face expressed no fear, and even in his shock, Loki admired the boldness of Midgardians.

"You may have the upper hand, Loki, but I have the entire arsenal of SHIELD at my disposal. You threaten me _ever _again, and I will have your ass in shackles faster than you can say "world domination"- got it? I doubt Daddy up in Asgard would approve of your bad behavior- and I bet Nick Fury would love to have an excuse to lock you up and torture you as long as fucking possible."

It was too much.

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Darcy had always been too damn brave for her own good.

She went from feeling like Xena the warrior princess to a damsel in distress in moments, as she found herself no longer in her office.

"Where the fuck are we? Loki! LOKI!"

She had no idea where she was- all she could tell is that it was a hotel, and outside, it was snowing. Clearly she wasn't in New York anymore, although she was pretty sure she was still on Earth.

Darcy was _very _alone in what appeared to be an entire, suite. She ran to the phone on the bed side table, dialing Agent Coulson's number. The phone rang, endlessly, and she realized that maybe she was in more danger than she had anticipated. The door was locked from the outside as well, and there was no way Darcy was going to survive climbing out the window from what seemed to be the fifth floor of a high rise hotel.

Hours passed. There was a minibar stocked with snacks, so Darcy didn't starve, as well as a lot of really expensive liquor. Darcy had no idea what else to do, so she drank a few miniature bottle of Absolut before sprawling across the bed and falling dead asleep, still dressed in her work clothes.

When she awoke, it was the middle of the night, and she was no longer alone.

"Did you sleep well?"

"What the fuck?!" Darcy scooted to the opposite of the bed at the sight of Loki reclining next to her in what had to be the weirdest pair of pajamas in the world.

"Do not fear, mortal. I have no intentions to harm you."

Darcy was petrified with fear as she felt the intense green eyes of her captor hone in on her.

"What do you want with me?"  
The question came out more pathetic than she had hoped, but she couldn't control her chattering teeth or her quivering voice.

"I wish for nothing, Ms. Lewis. It is you who desires something from me- am I wrong?"

Realization hit Darcy and confirmed her suspicions.

"IT WAS YOU!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"YOU were the man in my dreams! You're the one bothering me every night!"  
Loki narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"That's dishonest- I wouldn't describe what transpired as 'bothering' you. Ms. Lewis, I do recall you would beg me for more- and I just couldn't find it in me to comply… until now."

Darcy realized she was in deep shit- was he proposing _sex?_

"I didn't know it was you, stupid- why would I want to fuck the man who almost took over my entire people?!"

"I know what is in your heart, Ms. Lewis. Though successful in your limited field, you feel stifled and limited- you crave greatness. By my side, you can achieve that and so much more."  
"You don't have a side, Loki! You're a prisoner."

Loki laughed and rolled on his side, propping his head up with his arm.

"I don't seem to be much imprisoned, now do I Ms. Lewis?"

"Fuck it."

Darcy dashed off the bed and opened the door to the balcony, but was trapped as she saw the long descent before her.

"I do not believe jumping is an option, Ms. Lewis."

He was behind her easily, and though she kicked with all her strength, Loki easily returned her to the bed, where he sat her down.

Kneeling before her, Loki placed his hand on her left knee in a way that made Darcy want to scream.

"I know what you want, girl. I have seen it in your eyes when you are awake, and you think I cannot see you. Is not this simpler? Just succumb… just let me in."

Darcy did the only thing she could do- she slapped him with all her meager strength.

"My dreams are private, as are my thoughts. You have no right to assume your way into my pants with some Freudian astral-traveling nighttime sex shit, got it?"

Her defiance was wearing thin, and Darcy was positive she was about to die right then and there.

Instead, she felt a familiar weird tug in her navel and she was no longer in the hotel room.

Instead, she was in her own bedroom, her purse and briefcase neatly piled next to her on her bed.

A disembodied voice spoke-

"Very well, Ms. Lewis. You have been warned. Do not think you will attack me again, for I will not hesitate to end you. If I were you… I would tread carefully."

That night, as Darcy tossed and turned, the dreams were more graphic than ever before. She was begging Loki in her subconscious- "Please, Loki, fuck, right there- oh god, please, just a little harder- a little bit- oh, oh, please, just so close, please-" and for a minute, the pleasure was heightened more than it had ever before, and Darcy was so close to toppling in climax, her toes were curling with anticipation- but then Loki stopped.

He pulled out, removed his hands, and he was suddenly fully clothed. Darcy remained on the bed, paralyzed in her dream and naked, exposed.

"Reconsider my offer to succumb, Ms. Lewis?"

Darcy screamed in frustration and attempted to sit up but couldn't.

"I see you have yet to make the correct choice."

And with a jolt, Darcy awakened, heart pounding and body throbbing from the extreme sexual pleasure it had only minutes before been enjoying.

Unable to take it anymore, Darcy burst into tears, shouting at no one.

"You don't play fair, Loki!"

She sobbed all night- humiliated, ashamed, and worst of all, considering succumbing after all.

**I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT…. I'm kind of trying to shape out a serious SHIELD/political plot as well as the more obvious Loki and Darcy relationship. Don't think I am condoning Loki's manipulation, by the way. It's not at all okay and I only am writing it because it fits Loki's twisted personality, unfortunately. READ and please review : ) and if reviewers leave suggestions for little details or plot ideas, I might incorporate them. LOVE YOU GUYS! xoxo**


	6. The Monster Under my Bed

**I am done with finals and my first semester of college! It was anticlimactic to say the least :/**

**Read and review lovely people! Enjoy your holidays, and peace on earth! Disclaimer that this is un-beta'd and completely from the insane depths of my brain.**

Nighttime had become unbearable for Darcy. Her body was permanently exhausted from endless tension and a lack of sleep that was definitely not her own fault. Even worse, her mind felt frayed thin, and her results at work were starting to suffer as a direct result. She had no idea how to circumvent the issue- Loki wasn't going to stop torturing her, and she wasn't going to give in to his ridiculous seduction. It was obvious that he had an angle, but Darcy hadn't figured it out quite yet. Until she did that, she was just going to have to subsist off of naps and Red Bull.

Of course, because life's timing was always perfect for people like Darcy, SHIELD doubled up on her workload. It seemed that terrorist activity had absolutely skyrocketed in the mountain range bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. For the first time, Darcy had to monitor chatter for results, because government reports were so faulty and inaccurate, plus difficult to obtain. Hacking was time consuming, and it was simpler to go directly to the source of the data.

Fortunately, Darcy was fluent in Farsi- within weeks she was able to pick up a mish-mash of Pashtun and Urdu that was just adequate enough to give her an understanding of the chatter. Most of it was meaningless and insignificant, but sometimes she would hear times and locations of meetings- and when they became repetitive, she was able to determine a pattern. It didn't take long for her find the cell responsible for a lot of violence and recruiting in the more rural areas of Pakistan. Even more importantly, Darcy ascertained, was the fact that the group's ringleader was working in tandem with a larger organization stretching South Asia and the Middle East- all in coalition to recreate and sell Chitauri weapons to guerrilla groups and "freedom fighters" around the world.

It became apparent that intervention was going to need to happen, ASAP. Planning a mission like that meant Darcy needed her full attention and focus-

So she made Loki do a lot more work than usual. He sulked and pouted for a few hours, but Darcy knew full well that he had magicked his computer to finding everything he could need for a well written logistical report.

It took her a week to organize everything and everyone. Getting clearance and access to the necessary materials took a little while, especially since she had gone off on Coulson and Hill, two of her most important "higher-ups".

Even worse, Darcy had to brief the Avengers involved on their various roles. Tony, of all people, was heading up the mission. He had a great deal of experience with the cultural norms of the region they were headed for, and she knew he had a weapons expertise rivaled by none.

Natasha and Clint were also going, to a tiny tribe in the SWAT valley in Pakistan, where a certain warlord ran an arms business that had recently gone intergalactic. They were going to retrieve the head of the organization as well as any weaponry found.  
Last were Captain America and Thor, who were going to do the dirty job of cleaning out the various cells in the villages near the mountains. It meant sending a few dozen of SHIELD's best agents, as well as a lot of stealth.

After the initial meeting, Tony had forced Darcy to visit Stark Tower with him so they could discuss any discoveries made regarding Asgard's tech. Pepper conned them both into eating a gourmet lunch, and then they went down to Tony's lab where Darcy was awed to see more than just Iron Man suits.

"Tony, this is amazing! It's hard to believe that you built this all from scratch!"

He rolled his eyes. "Please, this is child's play. I have something cooler to show you- check this out."

Tony led her to a work table covered by blueprints and a tablecloth covered with what seemed to be coffee and Hot Cheeto stains.

"Is it a collage?"

"No! _This _is what I want you to see."

With a flourish, Tony whipped off the tablecloth to reveal four lethal looking guns. They were like nothing she'd seen before, gleaming and futuristic in style.

"Tony, are those real?"

"Yep."

"Did you steal them from SHIELD?"

Tony's smile grew wider as he shook his head.

"I made them myself after copying a basic design from a sample I may have taken during the actual attack. "

"Geez, no need to be so smug. But… there were no Asgardian weapons used in the Chitauri battle- were there?"

"Think about it Darcy- the way the weapons world works is that the big guys, like Stark Tech, develop something brand new, and then the sub-corporations try their hand at it, but it's already old news by then. Arms are like styles- they start out at the top of the line companies and are filtered down to the average joe over months. I have a feeling our Asgardian friends aren't just giving us old tech- I believe they're giving us the middle finger and gifting us with the very weapons used to decimate our cities."

Darcy was blown away by the billionaire's deduction- and angry. Very, very angry.

"Tony, this is a problem. This is a huge oversight on SHIELD's part, unless they want this… but I doubt it. Fury is many things, but he isn't one to accept an invalid payment. We're being conned!"

"Damn straight we are. I bet when we go on your op tomorrow, we're going to find eerily similar weapons."

"How is it even possible? Asgardian arms never made it to Earth! Unless… you're saying the Chitauri were using old weaponry from Asgard?!"

Tony's ordinarily grinning face was somber as he nodded.

"Well shit."

The next day came quickly, with Darcy scrambling to figure out what to do with her knowledge. Stark had agreed to keep the lid on his discovery until he came back with the team, but it didn't mean he was going to do a good job of it.

With all her stress, Darcy was surprised at one thing-

Loki had been oddly docile throughout it all; he did his work silently, never speaking. Even odder, the dreams subsided, giving Darcy a few nights of much needed rest.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

She was incredibly unobservant when occupied.

It served as advantageous to Loki, who often left behind a copy of himself at the desk, aimlessly typing while he astral traveled around SHIELD, sneaking and discovering the organization's dark secrets.

He was pleased to discover that the Lewis girl was right about the weapons Odin was pawning off to Earth. They were, indeed, "knockoffs"- weapons given to the least ranking soldier in Asgard during training. They were obsolete in all the other realms, and that SHIELD considered them adequate pay for his housing was a true mockery of Midgardian intelligence.

It was a pity too, that he had to stop his games with Darcy Lewis. Bringing her to near ecstasy on a nightly basis was quite enjoyable for him, but he had to give her time to focus on her mission so he could work on his.

Tampering with SHIELD files was extraordinarily simple. It wasn't difficult- all he had to do was alter a few details per file. Everything was important in this line of work, so Loki could manipulate anything, from the kind of transportation needed to blend in, to the background information of a diplomat a SHIELD agent would be meeting with.

Things were about to go very wrong for SHIELD, and especially Darcy Lewis.

That was when he planned to strike.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

She knew something had changed when the dreams returned.

It was a day after the agents had all departed for their missions- the Avengers had deployed a jet themselves and left early, which was okay by Darcy so long as they followed her orders.

Everything had gone smoothly so far; Coulson and Darcy had sat at computers and monitored every aspect of the departure. The Avengers had reached their destinations after 19 hours of constant flight, but after that they had to go off-grid and shut off their communications. Darcy had secretly kept a comm link open with Tony via JARVIS, so she could still keep track of everything from her laptop.

That night she had returned home, a little jittery and more than tired. After scarfing down some much needed takeout, Darcy decided to indulge in a bubble bath for the first time since she had started working for SHIELD.

As the tub filled with hot water, Darcy stripped and looked at herself in the mirror. Despite all the frazzle and disturbance of work, she looked better than she'd ever looked before. Her hair was shiny and past her shoulders, her skin was clear, and she had even lost a little bit of weight from all the running around.

Darcy plugged her iPod into a dock and allowed her soft bedtime playlist to emanate the room, and added some lavender oil to her bath before she sank into the bubbles.

The bathroom was steamy, and the heat soothed Darcy's aching back. It wasn't long before Darcy dozed off in the water…

Loki had set his plan in motion.

By the time Darcy Lewis was on her way to work the next morning, every single one of the Avengers would be held captive and tortured by local terrorists- and maybe Loki had sent some anonymous tips with instructions on how to disable each member specifically.

It was almost satisfying to foil all of the Midgardian wench's best laid preparations, but something was missing. Since all he had left to do was wait, Loki decided it was time to renew his attentions to the lady in question. He left a copy in his cell and paid a visit to the girl's apartment.

She was neither in her room nor in the kitchen, her two most frequented parts of her residence.

A soft snoring led him to her bathing room, and there Loki was struck by a most astonishing sight.

He had seen manipulated Darcy Lewis' subconscious to view the visions of his choosing, but he lacked enough of his true power to actually be present in her mind. For that reason, he had yet to witness the actual scenes he was implanting in Darcy's dreams- until now.

She appeared to have fallen into a deep slumber mid-bath, her quiet Midgardian music barely audible. The few bubbles which remained in the bath clung to her body's curves, and Loki scarcely thought before approaching the tub. He knelt next to it, and gently ran a finger up Darcy's arm, smooth and unblemished skin shining with moisture. Minutes passed, but something about her face as she slept was enthralling- there was an innocence he hadn't seen before in a woman. She was completely vulnerable- naked, prone, asleep- the woman was at his mercy.

A particularly loud snore interrupted Loki's reverie, and he was suddenly more keenly aware of the opportunity afforded to him at that moment.

With a wave of his hand, Loki removed all the remaining bubbles and made to pick up Darcy from the tub. He succeeded in lifting from the tub, but that was as far as he got before she rolled out of his arms and yanked a drawer open- when she faced him once again, she held a pistol in steady hands.

Loki hid his surprise at her response and merely sat on what appeared to be a laundry hamper.

"You might want to lower the weapon, Ms. Lewis. If you do recall, I had told you what would happen if you attacked me again."

Darcy's eyes were burning with rage, as she only aimed more precisely between the god's eyes.

"I'm FUCKING SORRY that I responded to an intruder in MY HOME- one who is likely to sexually assault me and then LIE ABOUT IT!"

"Your tongue truly is filthy, is it not, Darcy?"

It was the first time he'd called her by her first name- and the way he talked about her tongue was actually kind of hot. Unfortunately, Darcy had an issue with men who thought they could take what they wanted without her permission, so she stood her ground.

"I see… you do not really think you can stop me with so feeble an effort?"

"Excuse me? Feeble?!"

"Mortal weapons scarcely harm me, you see."

Darcy squeezed the trigger twice, lodging two bullets into Loki's chest.

He looked slightly surprised, but he merely responded with a shrug, and then he somehow floated the bullets out of his flesh with magic.

Darcy had had enough- she was naked, and wet, and alone with a homicidal would be rapist in her bathroom-

So she emptied the clip into Loki's face, surprising him just a tad bit more that time. With her bought time, Darcy grabbed a robe and ran out of the bathroom, attempting to knock over things on her way out and shutting the door behind her. With every ounce of her strength, Darcy tried to barricade her bathroom door with her chest of drawers, but it was no use. Loki poofed into her bedroom, face completely free of bullet holes.

His mouth was drawn into a grimace meant to menace- and Darcy was fucking terrified.

"I do not enjoy these games, Ms. Lewis."

The anger returned, and with it, the adrenaline. Grabbing her lamp and yanking it out of its socket, she tried to arm herself.

"You seem to think I should acquiesce to your creepy ass nighttime stalking, Loki- you seem to think I should be honored, or that I should welcome it! Newsflash, dickhead! What you are DOING is the equivalent of assault and I am seriously going to sic every one of SHIELD's agents on you if you don't stop."

His smile grew wider, exponential to Darcy's fear.

"I won't stop. I do what I want, Darcy Lewis, and what I want, is you."

For an instant, something stupid in her heart fluttered- but the reality crashed over her quickly and she snarled back, "You don't want ME! You want to TAKE me, the way you want to TAKE OVER my planet, and pawn it off to whatever baddie you bargained it to in exchange for your stupid ice cube of doom! I don't give a flying fuck that you have daddy issues or Thor issues or god knows- you are a PRISONER and as long as SHIELD has you, you can't do shit."

"Can't I? I have done "shit", Darcy Lewis- just wait and see."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Dread began to fill Darcy as thoughts of Loki touching her sensitive missions raced through her brain.

"Fuck, Loki, what have you done?!"

"Only what I originally intended to do. I will rule this realm, and all the realms surrounding it. I merely require a place to start."

Heart pounding, Darcy lowered her lamp. "Loki… did you sabotage my mission?"

"Which one, Ms. Lewis? Mortals so lack in specificity, I find."

Through gritted teeth, Darcy spat back "You know which one, dammit. Afghanistan, Pakistan. Big guns. What have you done?!"

"I have simply gotten the wheels turning for a greater purpose, Ms. Lewis. You should be honored- your careful plans serve as the springboard to humanity's elevation at my hand. I will rule this planet benevolently, so long as your kind are wise enough to… kneel."

With a crash, the lamp landed on the floor by Darcy's feet. She knew it- she knew she was going to fuck something up with so much responsibility in her hands- and lives were going to be lost because of her inattentiveness.

Desperate, Darcy resolved herself for the unspeakable thing she was about to do next.

Stepping away from the broken light bulb and lamp shards, she opened up her robe, exposing herself.

Loki piqued an eyebrow and grinned.

"What is this, Ms. Lewis?"

"Don't joke, Loki. I will do whatever you want- _anything-_ just don't let this mission go wrong- for the love of god, please please don't let whatever you have planned occur. I swear, I will do anything!"

Darcy was crying, silently, but her voice was so steady she almost couldn't believe what she was offering.

He had murdered thousands, and she was offering herself to him.

Loki couldn't believe it either. This mortal was willing to sacrifice her self-respect for a few measly agents? It was difficult to fathom, but as usual, Loki was assessing his options.

Bedding the wench meant he would have to halt this particular plot- but it didn't mean he had to stop anything else from going wrong. Besides…

There were plenty of things he could accomplish by spreading rumors of the mouthy brunette who had slept with SHIELD's most dangerous prisoner…

Darcy couldn't tell what was going on in his mind- Loki's face was entirely inscrutable, and her stomach was tying itself into knots with worry.

Loki wasn't sure if a moment's pleasure with the chit was worth delaying his plans- he knew he could accomplish his goals easily enough later, but was it wise? He had never chosen physical pleasure over his mischief- yet, something about refusing the woman before him seemed wrong.

Decision made, Loki forced himself to ignore his apprehensions. It had been too long since Loki had thoroughly _known _a woman's body- tonight, he was going to alter that.

Darcy was beginning to shiver from fear and cold, when she was suddenly lying on her bed- and Loki was a lot less clothed than he had been a second ago. The terror from before was replaced by panic as she comprehended the enormity of what she had just agreed to- she was selling her body for the sake of the Avengers and everything SHIELD stood for. It was far from comforting a thought, but then Loki was naked and on his knees on the bed, spreading her legs apart. The touch of his hands on her thighs felt _amazing-_ and that horrified Darcy.

"Loki- wait!"

The intent look on Loki's face was intriguing as he leaned over her body and brought his face above hers.

"Are you backing down on your offer, Ms. Lewis? It is almost too late, but I will not do this without your consent."

Darcy could feel proof of it almost being too late brushing against her stomach, and a frisson of arousal ran through her body.

"I just… I need to warm up, you know? I gave consent, but I might as well enjoy it too." She hoped she sounded convincing.

"I see. You shall not want for pleasure tonight, Darcy." As he uttered her name, he firmly laid a kiss on her lips, teasing her mouth with his tongue before forcing it in. She responded instantly, grabbing hold of his dark hair and kissing back with everything she could.

Darcy's mind was spiraling- everything she felt was saying "STOP RIGHT NOW!" but her body was so, so ready to be pleasured by Loki- she couldn't stop herself. Weeks of sexual arousal left unfulfilled were coming to a head, as Loki's hands ran down her sides and upon her breasts, massaging them skillfully.

Loki was moving quickly as well; the girl's body had always appealed to him, but something about her curves exposed was driving him to new heights of insanity. Seeing her whimper from his very touch was destroying Loki's resolve to remain aloof and mentally distant from the physical happenings, as he kissed her lips and then lower, lower, till his mouth was caressing the soft mound of pelvis.

Darcy was surprisingly silent, as she roved her hands around Loki's back, reaching for his ass to bring him closer to her. She couldn't bring herself to talk dirty the way she usually did with lovers- this felt conflicting enough as it was, but the sex was godly- it had never been that good before, and her body was responding in ways she had never known.  
Barely able to form coherent sentences, Darcy hissed out, "I need you inside me- please!"

Loki took commands quite nicely in bed, as he carefully positioned himself before entering her- teasing her entrance at first, drawing a squeal of frustration from Darcy.

"JUST FUCK ME ALREADY!"

Loki had known a millennia worth of women, but none had ever commanded him to "fuck" her- and all the words Darcy had kept inside poured out- obscenities and swears, all combined in her usual bizarre manner.

He plunged in, literally, as Darcy murmured little notes-

"Oh, just a little deeper- FUCK, right there, just keep it going baby, just a little more, oh god, yes- Uhuh, right there-" and the sound of her voice so raw and uncontrolled was driving him closer to climax with each word she uttered.

Darcy could feel herself rapidly approaching climax, as her inner walls began to flutter and clench. The sharp intake of her breath alerted Loki to her impending orgasm, so he slowed down his thrusts, drawing each one out so that Darcy could feel the agonizing build up inside of her growing.

"I- need to- oh god, please, Loki- just a little faster- oh, Jesus, god- oh my god just faster, don't tease me please, I just-…" Without a word, Loki sped up his hips, as he felt himself near climax as well. It took a few final slams of his pelvis against hers, and he had her silent again as her face contorted with pleasure. Loki followed suit, releasing within her and shuddering in relief.

He rolled off her, and both lay silently, Darcy panting with exertion and the after effects of her phenomenal orgasm.

As the endorphins faded, so did Darcy's haze- what had truly come to pass was disgusting to fathom.

She was pathetic- all that fighting back, for nothing? She was horrible at choosing men, true, but never had she let herself experience all manner of ecstasy with a mass murdering sociopath from another realm.

Loki could sense her repulsion- though he doubted it was because of his performance in bed. Truth be told, he had never experienced a sexual connection like that before. He had just fucked her thoroughly, but his cock was ready for more- a rare occurrence for a god with no time for women.

Still, he knew that he had to leave.

Rolling off the bed, Loki stood before her, still nude.

"I will take my leave now. Your end of our agreement has been fulfilled." The grimness of Loki's face made Darcy upset for some reason. Was she really that disappointing in the sack? Or was it the fact that she was a mere mortal- too mundane for the likes of an Asgardian god?

"I guess, yeah… you should go."

Loki pivoted, and with a flash his clothes returned to his body. Turning only to nod, he was about to leave when Darcy said, "Wait…"

She paused, clearly choosing her words carefully.

"I… This didn't happen. This was a mistake- a huge, huge mistake of giant proportions… my having sex with you was wrong and it won't change a damn thing, will it?"

"I am a man of my word, Ms. Lewis."

Darcy got off the bed, wrapped in her sheets and hair tumbling around her shoulders.

"That's the biggest lie you've ever told, isn't it Loki?"

"Not quite, Ms. Lewis. I will carry out my part of the bargain, I swear on my father."

Darcy couldn't handle the wordplay any longer, and she spoke without thinking.

"Which father? The one you murdered, or the one who threw you in this prison in the first place?!"

Loki didn't reply, though Darcy saw his fingers twitch for an instant.

He disappeared then, leaving her alone to burst into sobs.

The next day, she was awakened from a fitful sleep by a phone call from Agent Coulson- Iron Man and Hawkeye had been seriously injured in an ambush which shouldn't have happened- and Captain America had been captured along with the Black Widow. It was Darcy's worst nightmare, as she walked down the halls of SHIELD feeling like a harlot. She had done it for nothing- the shooting, the fighting- the fucking. He had betrayed her trust, just like she knew in the back of her mind when she agreed to sleeping with him…

Which meant, to Darcy's horror that more than a small part of her had wanted to sleep with Loki. That a huge part of her was okay with bedding the man who killed thousands over family drama- a man who tried to kill her and blow up her town over a brotherly dispute.

As she entered her office, preparing to deal with the clusterfuck, she tensed in anticipation of seeing Loki. Instead, Agent Hill sat at his desk, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Good morning Ms. Lewis. This isn't really that good a morning though, when you think about it."

Darcy gulped and sat down at her own desk, trying to control the quaver in her voice as she replied, "It sucks…"

"We both know who caused this to happen."

"I can explain!"

Hill shook her head and smiled. "No need. We've monitored Loki's every move since his arrival, including his browser history. Just because we can't read magic doesn't mean we can't read the effects of it on his logistical planning, as well as the missions of others in your department. This was simple sabotage, and we're going to deal with it as best as possible."

Darcy was relieved, but she still had no idea how to cope with the battle ahead. Negotiating with terrorists was never an option- especially since it would jeopardize SHIELD's existence.

After discussing preliminary plans to send in special ops for rescue, Darcy made her way to Stark Tower, where she rode the elevator to the penthouse.

In his bedroom lay Tony Stark, surrounded by bits of junk and power tools.

Without saying hello, Darcy burst into tears and sank into a chair next to his bed.

Startled, Tony nearly set his comforter ablaze as he turned off his blowpipe.

"What the hell? Darcy?"

"Tony… something terrible has happened."

**I know this is weird but I just… I have no idea. I hope it's okay as far as plot goes, I just kind of write what I feel and this is what I felt at the moment?**

**Read, review, leave comments please! XO AUTHOR!**


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